The New Self: A closer Look

-OOS

Dustin Bell / GMCC Date: 12-29-19

-Sermon

I. Main Text

I. INTRO

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

A. Where We’ve Been

A. Not Conformed;

a. Jesus followers are to look & act than who they were b4 accepting Jesus as Lord & Savior… & diff than the culture we live in

B. Where We’re Going

b. transformed means to from one thing into another form

C. Main Text

Romans 12:9–13 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

Ro 12:9-13

B. Transformed through new

D. Pray

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good & acceptable & perfect.

E. Contet

a. The mind he means the of logical reasoning, ethical judgment & moral awareness

b. The Holy Spirit transforms us, we don’t changes ourselves

II. BODY

he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration & renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

c. Knowing God’s perfect will is discerned with the new mind

A. The New Self Is Different

a. The new self lives in community

Romans 12:1 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

The new self lives in community ()

b. The new self lives in community ()

Romans 12:3–5 ESV

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

1. The metaphor (Paul uses) for this community is Jesus’ body

i. Paul is saying that we r all united under the leadership of Jesus & intricately connected to 1another

i. The H.S. empowers the new self w/Gifts of the Spirit to enable us to live in that community ()

- We covered this at length over the past few months

b. The new self loves purely

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 1. It’s with the renewed mind that we can even in the middle of awful circumstances Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 & endurance produces character, & character produces hope, 5 & hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 12:9 ESV

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

1. love is more than mushy feelings it’s self giving actions toward others

1. love is more than mushy feelings it’s self giving actions toward others

2. Genuineness is acting from pure motives

i. thus the new self loves 4 others’ gain, not what self will rec. in return

ii. loving to gain status, feel good, or expecting a return on investment is tainted love

c. The new self is horrified by evil & clings to good

“Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.”

1. abhor means to b horrified

2. hold fast means to

i. Don’t think Paul means 2b horrified @other people’s evil

-If we start looking outward at the evil in the world we start seeing others as evil & ourselves as good

-result:

*self-righteousness

*us vs them mentality

*creating walls 2 isolate instead o building bridges 2 Jesus

-This is how the religious leaders viewed the world (Jesus responded?)

Matthew 7:3–5 ESV

3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.

3. Instead, we should look inward

i. & the evil that we c lurking in our own heart should horrify us

-leads us to fall on our knees b4 God & repent

-keeps us humble “seeing ourselves as beggars trying 2 show other beggars where 2 find eternal food”

-drives us 2 share w/others the experience of repentance leading 2 God’s mercy & eternal rel. w/him

ii. Then, when we c the good, we cling 2 it & rejoice in the good work God has done, hoping in God 2 complete that good work He started

d. The new self affectionately loves other Jesus followers

Romans 12:10 ESV

10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.

1. Brotherly affection gives away honor

: “Outdo one another in showing honor.”

i. The world is full o status grabbing & resume building

- the only way to get ahead is self promotion

*even in getting accepted to college we’re supposed to fill application w/ “extra curricular”

~I served the community by volunteering at this, & that

~which all looks very loving, but it’s done in the name of self promotion & gaining entry (doesn’t sound like loving purely to me)

~The NFL is doing this right now w/all these players developing foundations to positively impacting their community

^but it’s purpose is to gain recognition, get an mvp trophy, or the like

^I’m thankful for the community improvement, but if it’s done w/ulterior motives it’s loves cheep knockoff

i. The world is also full of competition

- illust song

-remember the song “anything u can do I can do better”

-

ii.

iii. The new self quietly serves, & seeks to promote others rather than themselves

- & sure there’s competition in God’s community

*competing in making much o others & less o 1’s self

2. Brotherly affection Contributes & shows hospitality

Romans 12:13 ESV

13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

i. When Paul says “Contribute to the needs of the saints” he means

-the Church should be strikingly generous

ii. & When Paul says “seek to show hospitality” he means

-we should b looking for ways to

*Hospitality @GMCC:

~

3. Brotherly affection is relationally present

Romans 12:15 ESV

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

Ro 12:15

i. We share wins & loses, struggles & victories, joys & sorrows

4. Brotherly affection is humble

Romans 12:16 ESV

16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.

RO 12:16-

i. humility looks like ? (what Paul means by harmony )

ii. humility isn’t stuck up

iii. & isn’t a know-it-all

5. The Church should be the friendliest people in their town!

i. Jesus followers should be so kind, it takes unchurched folks by surprise & catch ‘em off guard

6. My Goal, my heart’s desire is that GMCC be the friendliest church in Bennington