Presenting Ourselves For Service-1

PRESENTING OURSELVES For SERVICE-I—Romans 12:1-2

Attention:

MEMORIAL DAY celebrations tomorrow...

Parades...

Speeches made...

Family get-togethers...

Visits to the cemetery...

Remembrance...

All of these events will help us to remember & respect those who presented themselves for the service of this country to maintain the freedoms of its civilians.

As our soldiers gave their very lives in the service of their country, so, believers must Present Themselves for the Service of their God.

Need:

Paul informed the Roman Christians of their need to properly live out God’s will.

We must properly offer our bodies for God’s service.

How are we to best offer/present ourselves for God’s service?

8 considerations effecting our usefulness to God.

1—Those used of God habitually...

Consider GOD’s MANIFOLD MERCIES(:1a)

Explanation: (:1a) Mercies

:1—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.”

Because of the unsearchable riches attending the perfection of God’s Providence, Paul now calls his fellow Christians to himself in exhortation.

Taking stock of the apparent & manifold “mercies of God,” the Christian is to consider the grave importance of presenting their own “bodies” for God’s use.

This presentation of our bodies is the bare minimum by which the blood-bought child of salvation by faith should respond in honor of his/her God.

What are some of the “mercies of God” toward us?

We are...

Undeservedly chosen.

Undeservedly chosen By faith.

Undeservedly chosen by faith In Jesus.

Undeservedly chosen by faith in Jesus, Who is the Messiah/Christ.

Undeservedly chosen by faith in Jesus, who is the Messiah/Christ, God’s chosen instrument to accomplish our salvation.

Undeservedly chosen by faith in Jesus, who is the Messiah/Christ—God’s chosen instrument to accomplish our salvation, From the wages of sin(eternal death).

Undeservedly chosen by faith in Jesus, who is the Messiah/Christ—God’s chosen instrument to accomplish our salvation, From the wages of sin(eternal death), To the place of grace(eternal life).

God uniquely gifts each one of us with an ability to serve Him as He chooses.

God blesses us with family—brothers & sisters in Christ.

“Beseech/Urge”—parakalew—V.—1)To call to one's side, call for, summon; 2) To address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc. Strong—To call near, i.e. Invite, invoke (by imploration, hortation or consolation).

“Mercies”—oiktirmov—1) Compassion, pity, mercy—1a) Bowels in which compassion resides, a heart of compassion, 1b) Emotions, longings, manifestations of pity. Denotes the inward feeling of compassion which abides in the heart. A criminal begs eleew of his judge; but hopeless suffering is often the object of oiktirmov. Both words denote sympathy, fellow-feeling with misery, mercy, compassion. Eleov, however, manifests itself chiefly in acts rather than words, while oiktirmov is used rather of the inward feeling of compassion which abides in the heart. Hopeless suffering may be the object of oiktirmov, Compassion. Strong—Pity. Used 5X.

“Present/Offer”—paristhmi—V.—1) To place beside or near; 2) To stand beside, stand by or near, to be at hand, be present. Strong—to stand beside, i.e. transitively--To exhibit, proffer; specifically--Recommend; figuratively--Substantiate; or intransitively--To be at hand(or ready), aid.

“Bodies”—swma—1) The body both of men or animals; 2) The bodies of planets & of stars (heavenly bodies); 3) is used of A (large or small) number of men closely united into one society, or family as it were; a social, ethical, mystical body; 4) That which casts a shadow as distinguished from the shadow itself. Strong—The body (as a sound whole), used in a very wide application, literally or figuratively.

Argumentation:

Rom. 3:23-26—“for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just & the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Gen. 32:9-10—“Then Jacob said, “O God of my father Abraham & God of my father Isaac, the LORD who said to me, ‘Return to your country & to your family, & I will deal well with you’: “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies & of all the truth which You have shown Your servant; for I crossed over this Jordan with my staff, & now I have become two companies.”

2Sam. 24:10-14—“And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, “Go & tell David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”’” So Gad came to David & told him; & he said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider & see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.” And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.””