Checklist To Consecration

Checklist to Consecration

I. Introduction

A. Announce passage: Romans 12:1-2

B. Daddy’s got all there is of me!

C. Passage and introduction, then read.

D. A church heavy-laden and burdened

E. Alan E Johnson "the secret that unlocks the unlimited possibilities of

genuine Christian faith in the world."

F. I have an answer!

G. Most people say consecration

H. In the Old Testament it wasn’t until…that God came and dwelt among them

I. In the New Testament Christ is our ultimate example

J. He followed his prayer up with action and made himself subject to death and now we are the temples of the Holy Ghost.

K. We cannot receive the fullness until Christ is Lord.

L. I have four points or checks this morning

II. A Body Continually Sacrificed

A. Sacrifice is unpleasant

B. Why? Why must we give everything? Why do we have to offer a living sacrifice?

C. What is mercy?

D. Romans 9:14-18 Paul is pointing out the God’s mercy is selective, further demonstrating that it is undeserved

E. We see how God’s mercy works in the life of Christ, when he healed the blind men and touched the lepers

F. What is our response to that mercy. Paul gives us a response in verse one

G. In the first and second century church there was a group of people known as the Montanists.

H. They would say, "Do not hope to die in bed…but as Martyrs."

I. They were willing to die for Christ and many today are but are we willing to live for Christ

J. The complete abandonment of our bodies to the service of Christ represents the very core of the Christian life.

K. Romans 6:13

L. Are we willing to offer ourselves as those who have been brought from death to life. Are we willing to simply obey.

M. Are we willing to obey in the little things. Young people I had a problem with this…

N. We need to check ourselves, are we obeying what Christ has already asked us to do.

O. Isaac Watts, When I survey The Wondrous Cross

P. The good is if we do that then…but we still have a choice everyday…but I would much rather

III. Do not conform to this World

A. 1 John 2:15

B. love of the father is not in him, that’s strong stuff

C. What is the world? The values, ideas, practices, and relationships, of the culture at large.

D. It’s the stuff we are bombarded with everyday…to take on it’s fashions, ideas, values, and practices.

E. Paul urges us not to because worldliness can rip our spiritual lives apart.

1. Destroys the influence of the truth (Matt 13)

2. It gives people a false sense of security (Noah)

3. It moulds all your activities and plans

4. It leads us to spiritual apostasy (2 Tim.) Demas

F. James 4:4 - why so harsh? worldliness is dangerous

IV. A life conformed to Christ

A. Day by day are we meeting with him

B. D.L. Moody’s flyleaf in his Bible

C. Psalm 119:165

D. Awesome thought, but the reason we have so many Christians today who are stumbling, so many falling into sin, and so many getting discouraged…

E. The only hope we have against stumbling

V. A mind transformed by the word of God

A. Only hope we have against stumbling

B. Input / Output song

C. Fan of Bible memorization because…I would challenge you guys

D. The Greek word Paul uses for transformed is metamorphosis, same as Christ’s transfiguration…changing from the inside out

E. The glory of the Lord is in our hearts

F. 2 Corinthians 3:18

G. One thing I’ve noticed about the world is they try to change us from the outside in, God wants to change us by his Spirit from the inside out

H. Then we will be able to test and approve what God’s will is.

I. Alexander the Great Illustration

Good morning! The text I want to look at this morning is found in the book of Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2, so if you’d like to it might be helpful to go ahead and turn there in your bibles. As you guys are turning let me just give you a little bit of background as to what Paul has been talking about up to this point. In the previous chapters Paul has discussed things like sanctification, justification, glorification, and in the past three chapters 9-11 Paul has been discussing the mercies of God. More specifically the mercy God has shown sinful man through his Son Jesus Christ. And so this is the background to which Paul starts chapter 12. I’m going to go ahead and read the two verses, I’m reading out of the new international version: "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will."