Renewing Your Mind

We are considering the picture of Romans 12 living a life God can bless last week at a glance we saw first we give all to God

The picture reveals our life to us, having tried doing life our way and it isn’t working

We come then to a place of brokenness, where we are ready to give our life to God as a sacrifice in a continual act of worship to Him.

This leads to a further revelation from the picture where we see what is next

So are we ready for the message God has for us today?

Cool, let’s begin!

Let’s read Romans 12:1-2 and see the picture again

Pew Bible 760

Romans 12:1–2 NASB 2020

1 Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as 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.

So the next thing we see is something needs to change

No longer conformed…be transformed

The change begins with no longer being conformed to the world

This cannot happen until we surrender completely to God, that is lay our life on the altar and give God complete and total control

Then we are at a place where the Spirit can begin what is outlined in the following verses, like here in verse 2

Looking at the world we can see why this would need to be

The world is suffering from broken identity, growing evil and a society where people do not want to take responsibility for their actions.

Everyone wears a mask to hide who they truly are, and whatever feels good and right to you, just do it!

Things that were once unimaginable are now the new normal!

Really this is not new PEW Bible 753 - Romans 1:28-32

Romans 1:28–32 NASB 2020

28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a depraved mind, to do those things that are not proper, 29 people having been filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, and evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice; they are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 without understanding, untrustworthy, unfeeling, and unmerciful; 32 and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.

Doesn’t that accurately describe our world

We can see why God would want us to not be conformed to the world!

In verse two of our text of Romans 12 Paul says instead be transformed

The word transformed comes a form the word metamorpho

We get our word metamorphosis from this word

The picture we see, what God is showing us is a fundamental change happens when Christ enters your life and the spirit of God is allowed to have control, you dig deeper in His word, you deepen your relationship with God, and He begins to birth in you the life and personality of Jesus

God in nature gives us an object lesson of this in a butterfly, it is called metamorphosis

Stage 1 - the little green caterpillar

Stage 2 - the cocoon, or crystalysis

Stage 3 - Beautiful monarch butterfly

Metamorphosis -

Webster’s dictionary - a change of form, structure, substance, or function, a marked change of character, appearance, condition

Greek Word - the change of moral character for the better, be changed in form.

Compound word Meta - change; morpho - form

This is what happens when the Spirit of God enters the heart of a person and begins working we are transformed.

Changing the Way We Think

We are transformed by the renewing of our mind!

Literally changing the way we think

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Chip Ingram in True Spirituality wrote: “If we fill our minds with the worlds value system we will die. We will experience death or separation in our relationship with God, ourselves, and others. Like fast food, it tastes good, looks good, and promises a wonderful time only to deliver death.”

We need to stop downloading the junk from the world and upload from the Bible, prayer, and authentic connection with believers!

We need to put our focus on Spiritual things

Like Paul commands in Colossians 3:1-4 Pew Bible pg. 790

Colossians 3:1–4 NASB 2020

1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on the things that are above, not on the things that are on earth. 3 For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory.

Paul is commanding the same thing here in Colossians that is commanded in Romans 12

The negative command do not be conformed to the things of this world

The positive command be transformed

Both of these commands require us allowing the Spirit to work in us which happens when we lay our life on the alter as a living sacrifice, in total surrender to God.

In fact in verse 1 where we present our bodies as a sacrifice is the only action in these two verses that we do

The action of not conforming and being transformed happens to us when we totally give our life over to God.

We can get so consumed with what is going in the world that we loose time to spend with God

Time we can spend allowing the Spirit of God to transform the way we think

Chip Ingram also wrote: “You must stop the flow of toxins into your thinking (i.e. media and ungodly relationships) and you must fill your mind (for the purpose of renewal-not performance) with the truth of God’s Word, the beauty of God’s creation, and the encouragement of God’s people.”

What are we proving?

The result of giving our life to God and allowing the spirit work in our life so that we are not confirmed but transformed results in proving what the will of God is!

The NLT puts it this way : Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. (Romans 12:2 NLT)

Isn’t that wonderful! That’s the picture!

Despite what people may think of God, when they see a life transformed they can see what the will of God is it is good, acceptable, and perfect!

You know something that evolutionists can’t answer, what science cannot disprove prove?

How a life can be totally transformed, a persons way of thinking completely changed by God.

I love the way Paul describes the will of God in this verse

The will of God is:

Good - moral excellence

Acceptable - giving pleasure and satisfaction, perhaps in a greater degree than usual!

Perfect - being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish!

The world cannot offer anything close to the will of God

Like Paul said in Ephesians 5:17

Ephesians 5:17 NASB 2020

17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

The will of God is really what is missing in our world and in lives of so many!

All that God’s will requires of us is lay our life on the altar, completely surrender to Him and let Him have control!

People don’t like that! They want the control and they don’t want to be held accountable for their actions!

That is what it all comes down to, accountability!

I don’t care about all the arguments atheists use, or the philosophical discussions in academia, and all the anger against God, Jesus, and the Bible.

It all stems from wanting to live life my way and not be held accountable! It’s time to call a spade a spade.

The worlds answer for a happy and fulfilled life, wait, Satan’s answer for a fulfilled life promises much but delivers little.

It leaves you empty and broken, every time!

Conclusion

God is saying, you want a happy life. You want fulfillment, worship me by a total and complete surrender and just watch how you are transformed completely and no longer conformed to this world! Watch how clearer everything is with a renewed way of thinking!

That is how we can demonstrate to the world that God’s will is good, acceptable, and perfect.

We no longer give space to the world, but we instead give our time to the Lord!

A day by day, minute by minute, moment by moment living sacrifice of worship to God

Just think as a community what that teaches the people around us!

So the picture is revealing giving God everything and Renewing our mind!

Come to the altar, bring Christ your broken life and let Him have His way.

He is standing at the door asking you open the door for me! Saying to you “If you will heed My calling, I will abide with you.” So let the savior in!

You know sometimes we sing the song I surrender all. first verse, All to Jesus I surrender all to him I freely give. Is that true for you, have you done that? Have you surrendered everything?

Maybe though you have been holding back certain areas of your life, why not lay them on the altar today and begin the process of transformation. Come to the altars

Have you been looking to the world for an answer to change your life? How long have you been looking?

The answer is right here today at the altar.

Why not let God through His Spirit begin to change your life and your thinking today!

Surrender all to Him today!

The altars are open so come to the altar!