Reasonable Service
And They Remembered His Words • Sermon • Submitted
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· 2 viewsA message exploring what it means to serve God
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Pre-Service Ice Breaker
Pre-Service Ice Breaker
I tried to come up with a carpentry pun that woodwork, I thought I nailed it, but nobody saw it.
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Introduction
Introduction
Have you ever done the Hokey Pokey?
It’s that little song and dance that tells us to put our left arm or right leg or some other body part into the circle, shake it and then “turn yourself about.”
It’s an active sometimes tiring little song that ends with the command, “Put your whole self in...”
When I think of that song and dance now, I’m reminded of another instruction. This one is from the apostle Paul, he writes...
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
This morning we will examine the implications of both the song and this verse.
Throughout 2021 we have been memorizing Scripture.
Our verse last Sunday was....
8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
At the end of Romans 11, Paul completes his exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was certainly the most thorough and systematic presentation of Christian truth up to that time in the church, and most would agree since that time as well. But now Paul turns his attention to the implications of the truth he has just presented. Romans 12 is where Paul says, “In light of what God has done, here is how we should live.”
As we explore this verse today we will notice that Paul’s encouragement concludes with this simple phrase, “which is your reasonable service.” As we study today we will discover 3 Characteristics of Reasonable Service. Let’s look at them together.
The Call to Reasonable Service
The Call to Reasonable Service
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
14 Times in the New Testament an author writes, “I beseech you.”
Greek word used here is Parakaleo.
This is literally an invitation. Paul has spent 11 Chapters preaching doctrinal truth and now he comes to the invitation.
He is inviting you to have a change of perspective. It is a call to come to ones side.
Parakaleo is the verb form of the work Parakletos which is the word Jesus uses to describe the Holy Spirit.
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
The Compassion of Reasonable Service
The Compassion of Reasonable Service
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
Greek = oiktirmos
Compassion grows out of love. We spent the last month learning about love. That we should love God, that he first loved us and that we should love one another.
What verse jumps to your mind that might be a verse that speaks to the mercies of God the Paul is alluding to here?
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
“Christ loved us and gave Himself for us” (Eph. 5:2). What a costly sacrifice for such a purpose. If He gave Himself for us, surely we should give ourselves for Him.
The Content of Reasonable Service
The Content of Reasonable Service
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.
What does Reasonable Service look like?
13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.
20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
A Living Sacrifice
Holy
Acceptable to God
Conclusion
Conclusion
“Which is your Reasonable Service.”
Logikos - I think of Mr. Spock in Star Trek. He always appealed to Logic. In light of what Christ did, God calls us to do this it is only logical.
Service = latreia = means worship
We make the mistake of thinking that worship is three old codgers and a draft dodger wing-dinging some little ditty. That worship is singing some songs, praying some prayers and listening to a sermon. Worship may include these, but worship encompasses what we do Monday—Saturday too. It is not just what we do on Sunday.
Like the song if we really want to worship, if we really want to offer God our reasonable service. We must put our whole self in.
Maybe you have been offering God a little bit of yourself: an arm here and a leg there. Today will you decide to give yourself to him lock, stock and barrel....