What Is Your Reasonable Service?

Romans 12:1-5

I would like for us to take some time tonight and look at this closing section in the book of Romans. Paul begins here in chapter 12 by giving these believers the practical application of the Christian Life. How are we to live? Because of all that was discussed prior to this in the book of Romans: sin, salvation, sanctification and the sovereignty of God, what do I do with this? Or perhaps how does this apply to me?

These few verses are calling us to something.

We are reminded this evening that our Pastor has been on sabbatical, he has been separated unto God. And it is as much a time of learning for us as it has been for him. And I ask the question this evening, What is Your Reasonable Service?

Or we could even say it another way, What do you deem as unreasonable service? Is this or that too much?

Let’s begin reading here in Romans chapter 12.

“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. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.” Romans 12:1-5

Let’s Pray

I found this quote I thought was pretty comical, and yet ironically true, “The problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar!”

Boa, K., & Kruidenier, W. (2000). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 358). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

Unfortunately, we could say there is a-lot of truth to that statement.

This before us is such a wonderful moving passage that is recorded for us. One Bible scholar has put it this way, “This verse is one of the most important in all the Bible, and contains more key theological terms and truths for its size than perhaps any other verse of Scripture.”

Boa, K., & Kruidenier, W. (2000). Romans (Vol. 6, p. 361). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.

We run a grave danger sometimes of allowing these powerful passages to become common place. We become hardened to what they actually say because of our familiarity with them.

I believe all of us should take the time to memorize these few verses. We ought to not just commit them to memory but we should meditate on them, think upon them. There should be a consistent practice of yielding ourselves to God.

As we go through this passage, again I want us to answer this question, What is our reasonable service?

And I would like to submit to you that in times past, you have already answered that question. You have already formed in you heart and your mind what the answer to that question is.

You might be thinking, I have never asked myself that question… and perhaps no, not consciously but certainly the outward expression of your answer has manifested itself.

What do you mean by that?

I mean to tell you that we have all drawn lines in the sand. We have said this is my answer, this is what is reasonable, and this is what is not reasonable.

Let’s take some time and perhaps learn tonight what Paul means by saying living sacrifice.

I. The Call of God’s Mercy

Paul begins by giving ‘the call’ based upon God’s mercy and grace.

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God”

It is the call of God’s Mercy:

Paul looks in two directions in making this statement. He looks backward in this epistle, but he looks forward at the love that our Lord has for us.

A. In Looking Backward

We all can look backwards in our lives, if so be that you have trusted in Christ, and see just what it is that Paul explains in the early chapters of the book of Romans, how it is that the Lord Jesus Christ reached down from Heaven and saved us by His grace through faith. We can go back to time when we were lost and undone without any hope. When are lives were stuck in the mire and bondage of sin, enslaved to the tyrant, on the broad way to destruction. But then God touched us, he had a preacher preach the Gospel, he had an unusual set of circumstances befall our life, he had a Christian give us a pamphlet, he had the gospel of Jesus Christ come to our ears and shoot into our heart like arrows with barbs that cannot be removed. The day the Holy Spirit of God removed the scales from our eyes and caused us to see the dread of our own iniquity and the condemnation that was upon us being at enmity with God. His matchless grace showed us the way of Salvation, the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. And then as we recieved the Bread of Life, and eternal life entered in and we were forever awakened to our Almighty God!

This calling based upon God’s mercy and grace ought to cause us to remember and never forget, that it is the love of Christ that constrains us.

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:” II Corinthians 5:14

Paul makes a very similar call later in this epistle when he states in Romans 15:30, “Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me;”

This foundation of God’s love, mercy and grace show us why Paul could say, “I beseech you therefore, brethren by the mercies of God...”

Those great subjects of how it is that God saved us cause us to look backward at our own Salvations, but also in the explanatory part of this letter to the Romans.

Paul uses a word that you and I have been looking at when we speak about Discipleship, this matter of ‘exhortation.’ Here is translated as the word “beseech you.” The word is “parakaleo” and it means to call to ones side. Here the English word is translated as “I beseech you” but indicates that Paul was not separating Himself in this call, but rather is saying ‘I am in this with you I am constrained by the love of Christ and I am with you in recognizing the driving force of the mercy of God.’

I think about that Hymn entitled “Love lifted me” and the words say this:

I was sinking deep in sin, Far from the peaceful shore, Very deeply stained within, Sinking to rise no more; But the Master of the sea Heard my despairing cry, From the waters lifted me– Now safe am I.

Refrain: Love lifted me, Love lifted me, When nothing else could help, Love lifted me;

We not only look backward, but then we think about this call of God’s mercy in looking forward.

B. In Looking Forward

God’s love, mercy and grace are certainly not just the call of the past. But His love, mercy and grace are the call of the present and future.

This call upon my life and yours is one that is eternal in duration. God’s mercy and grace is never deficient. God’s mercy and grace never runs out. Paul put is this way in speaking about the grace of God In Romans chapter 5:19-21 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”

We see the Call of God’s Mercy in looking backward, in looking forward but also the call of God’s Mercy:

C. Is Binding

I see here that Paul does not fail to remind us that we are bound together by the cross of Calvary. Paul uses the word ‘brethren.’ We that have been saved are ‘brethren.’ This is certainly fundamental and important to our understanding that we are not separated individuals but are part of the family of God.

The Call of God’s mercy brought us into the family of God. We were brought together and as described in this passage part of the body of Christ, Him being the Head. We no longer are outcasts separated from the love of God, but have been saved to the uttermost and are partakers of the adoption of sons.

How big is your family? Untold billions! We are part of the family of God.

So it is that Paul starts this by issuing this Call based on God’s Mercy. But what is the call for you and I?

I want you to notice

II. The Presentation of Our Bodies

This word present has many wide and varied meanings, but it gives the idea of you and I yielding ourselves or submitting ourselves to God. Showing ourselves ready before God for whatever He would have us to do.

This same word “present” is used when Gabriel came and spoke to Zachariah. Gabriel stated, “I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.” (Luke 1:19)

I Kings 17:1 “And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.”

Elijah stood before God and therefore had no problem with standing before Ahab. Elijah submitted Himself to God, He was ready for whatever it is that God would have for Him.

This presentation is for our whole selves.

“God is not asking the believer to dedicate his gifts, abilities, money, time, ideas, creativity, or any such thing. He is asking the believer to sacrifice himself or herself.”

Oswald Chambers put it this way, “We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself.”

If that be the case that we are to present ourselves, how are we to do so?

A. As a ‘Living Sacrifice

Now this is a very peculiar saying here, the two words don’t really go together. The word ‘living’ and the word ‘sacrifice.’

This brings us back to the Old Testament, where it reminds us of the untold millions upon millions of animals that had their blood spilt. It reminds us that those were not living sacrifices, for they were sacrificed. They were dead sacrifices that could move no more.

In the Old Testament they were commanded to make a sacrifice, You and I here we are commanded to be a sacrifice.

Peter uses the word ‘lively stones’ to describe us as a living sacrifice.

I Peter 2:5 “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.”

This ought to be ever consuming to us, that we are living every day to die, ever dying to self; living sacrifices.

Paul said it this way, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

We have actually two examples of living sacrifices in the Word of God. One is found with Isaac in Genesis 22. Warren Wiersbe said this, “Isaac willingly put himself on the altar and would have died in obedience to God’s will, but the Lord sent a ram to take his place. Isaac “died” just the same—he died to self and willingly yielded himself to the will of God. When he got off that altar, Isaac was a “living sacrifice” to the glory of God.”

The second is found in the perfect example of the Lord Jesus Christ, “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” (Philippians 2:8) But glory to God, He is alive for evermore.

Not only do we present ourselves as a living sacrifice but we are to present ourselves as A holy Sacrifice

B. As A Holy Sacrifice

All that we labour to do for the Lord Jesus Christ is holy work.

I think sometimes we forget this, this that goes on here at Sharon Baptist Church and outside the walls of Sharon Baptist Church in these bodies of ours is holy work. Why? Because we are holy sacrifices.

I just begin to wonder why it is that people treat the Lord’s work as secondary work. As leftover time type of work. As work that is done only if it does not inconvenience me. As work that says, “this is my responsibility and this only...”

Oh my friend this is holy work and it is the most important in all the world.

We are holy people. We ought to be holy sacrifices.

Those dead sacrifices of the Old Testament were to be presented without spot or blemish. They were not to be maimed or stricken ill they were to be spotless.

They gave the first of what they had. They gave the best of what they had, because they understood that this was God’s.

We are to be a holy people, giving God our best. Laboring for the Lord Jesus Christ as not only a living sacrifice but a Holy Sacrifice.

This idea that we can somehow give God our second’s and thirds and fourths… or whatever is leftover is not in keeping with the Word of God.

God’s call upon our lives is for all of us, not part of us. We are to give God our very best. We are to live lives of holiness and purity; Holy Sacrifices.

III. This Is Our Reasonable Service

This is certainly not asking too much, for us to sacrifice ourselves, daily moment by moment to the Lord.

This daily yielding to God for His will to be accomplished, is reasonable.

Paul is concluding this call by saying it is only reasonable that we should do such a thing.

The word that Paul uses here that is translated as “reasonable” is where we get the word logic or logical.

In other words, it only makes sense.

We can practically apply this thought by saying, “It is only reasonable that I give my entire life to the Lord.”

“It is only reasonable that I do what the Lord would have me do.”

“It is only reasonable that I should be a living sacrifice.”

“It is only reasonable that I should be a holy sacrifice.”

“It is only reasonable that I should put God and His work as the top priority in my life.”

Getting this decided in our hearts will do away with a lot of negotiating that goes on between us and the Lord.

When we get this decided in our lives, a-lot of emotional turmoil goes out the window because the decisions are made and my will is bent toward the Lord.

When we get this determined in our hearts and lives there will be no shortages of folks to serve the Lord, there will be no jobs that get left undone.

I bring this message to you because I have seen some folks during this time of sabbatical, step forward and say, “Here am I, send me”

And yet on the same token, I have seen many shed responsibility after responsibility and begin the process of stepping away from their service to the Lord.

I have watched with great hope that some would stand up and begin to serve the Lord taking on responsibility of those things they can see around them…

At the end of it all as Christians, we must understand this, that our lives moving forward from the day we got saved will be tried at the judgement seat of Christ under the context of what have I done in this body for the Lord Jesus Christ.

Here, the Lord says, present your body as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.