All In
Notes
Transcript
Are You All In?
Are You All In?
A common phrase we use in games, events, relationships, etc.
What are we really “all in” to?
“Where your treasure is, there your heart will be”
How do we feel about the things we are “all in” to?
Excited, guilty, proud?
How does this compare to our level of commitment to living the Jesus way?
History, affluence, and culture have all influenced our collective understanding of what it means to follow Jesus
In our series of getting back to basics, we do well to be reminded of what exactly it means to live the Jesus way
So, are you “all in”?
The Only Logical Response
The Only Logical Response
Therefore ...
Based on everything that has preceded (“in view of God’s mercies”):
You were alienated from God and condemned in your sin (Rom. 1-3)
God made a way for you to be reconciled to Him (Rom 4-5)
God has made you completely new in Christ (Rom 6)
You will still have to battle against the forces of sin, but Christ has the victory (Rom 7)
You are to live out the reality that has already taken place in history (Rom 8:9-13)
The ONLY logical response is to “offer your bodies as a living sacrifice ...”
Living, not dead
To offer your whole selves (not just externals)
Consider the “old” sacrificial system of dead animals
What was the point?
Sacrifice (response to grace) - Costly
Or was it simpler?
It definitely demanded something
Note: God demands everything
“holy and pleasing to God”
Similar terminology to the OT sacrifices
This is the thing that makes you most pleasing to God: that you are completely set aside (HOLY) for his purposes
In the same way the animal sacrifices were
“Do not conform”
“Do not conform”
“Do not be like the world around you”
In a different context, Paul tells us “you were bought at a price” (1 Cor. 6:19-20)
Despite what the world around us may be saying, our life is not in our own hands
What is it that we are not to “conform” to?
Culture? Ideals? Practices?
All of the above?
The clue is in what follows: “be transformed in the renewing of your minds”
It is fundamentally about how we think, how we perceive the world around us
We are not to conform to the thinking (read: mindset) of the current AGE
‘World’ somewhat gets near it, but not perfectly
The expression is eschatological: this age vs. the age to come
We are children of the age to come - in other words, we are to live like the future is the present
This seems counter-intuitive, but it is the prevailing perspective of the New Testament
Note, too, that the opposite of conforming to this age open the ability to discern God’s will
How often do the “cares of this life” cloud our level of commitment for God?
How often do we say in our hearts “ I would love to do that for God, but ...”?
How often do we say to ourselves and others “God wouldn’t really expect me to do that … would he?”
To be “all-in” on anything requires inherent risk, because it is a step of faith stating that whatever we are “all-in” on is worth having or doing
The benefits of the return are greater than the RISK of loss if we’re wrong (Pascal’s Wager)
In reality, it’s easier to fit in; it’s easier not to rock the boat - it’s EASIER TO CONFORM
But conforming comes at a much greater price than betting on the sure thing of God’s grace and mercy
“But Be Transformed”
“But Be Transformed”
The negative command is to no longer conform to this age
The positive command is to be “transformed by the renewing of your mind”
Two words of significant meaning there: ‘transform’ and ‘renew’
‘Transform’ is the word from which we get “metamorphosis”
It is complete and utter transformation from one nature or mode of being to another
It is used of Jesus on the mount of transfiguration
‘Renew’ is not at all like our meaning of renew like a library book or magazine subscription
We might break it out into “RE-make-as-NEW”
It is one of two Greek words for “new”: neos for “new in time” (e.g. “new baby”) is the other
This one means “new in substance” or “new in nature”
Echoing the sentiments of Paul in Corinthians
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
Same word for “new”
Not only do we no longer conform to the mindset of this age, we have a completely new nature and new way of looking at things
This “new way” is the way of Christ
Who “gave himself up” for us
And we “died with him” (Rom. 6)
Which is where our secondary text for this morning comes in
You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
There’s the sacrifice piece: “put to death the misdeeds of the body”
Our ‘obligation’ is to ‘live by the Spirit’ - the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of Christ
Who lives inside us
Who guides us and shows us how to live
To whom we must surrender our very selves, ideas, thoughts - everything
So that we can become more like Jesus
The teachings of Scripture are far more clear on this than we would like them to be
To be a living sacrifice demands a cost
To be a living sacrifice implies risk
Following Jesus does not promise an easy life - far from it
Jesus and the early church faced significant opposition and rejection by the “world”
So we must expect it to do the same for us
Because if we truly are “all-in” with Jesus, then our loyalties will soon be tested
Which brings me to the final word I want to look at with you this morning
“So that you can test and approve what God’s will is ...”
This means, basically “to prove by testing”
Every day we take that step of faith
Every day we take the risk and submit ourselves to God
We are testing to see if God is true to his word
And he is
We may not always know it experientially
But we may know it in our heart of hearts
Because we know, ultimately, that we do not belong here
We belong to the new era, the new creation, the new Kingdom of God
SO ...
Are You All In?
Are You All In?
No other questions for reflection - let that one stew for a bit
Homework
Homework
Read Romans 9-11
Remember to ask:
What excites or surprises you?
What puzzles you?
What challenges you?