Training spiritually part 2
Have you ever noticed that Australian’s don’t like to be told what to do? I mean, directions – guys will wander around aimlessly and totally lost for days before stopping to ask for directions. And putting things together – when I get a new piece of furniture, or a new computer program – the first thing I do is take out the parts or the disk and start working. There is no way and Australian would look at the manual first.
Okay – often we end up with odd parts left over – or haven’t the faintest clue how to use our new program once its installed. If we had just used the manual we would have saved so much trouble and gotten a much better result.
When it comes to life, we often react the same way – we don’t want anyone telling us how to live, we just go out there and start living – making it up as we go. We have a manual, a book of directions – it’s the Bible. We should read it, understand it, live by it.
But it’s a pretty big manual – and many of us don’t take the time to read the whole thing.
You’ll notice that starting in chapter 12, Paul leaves the purely theological discussion of chapters 1-11 and gets into some real practical stuff.
This little quick start guide covers three areas of life: our relationship with the Father, our relationship with ourselves, and our relationships with others – both in the church community and in the world.
In each verse or two I’ll highlight a “Life Principal”. And if you want the “quick start” guide it is all based on just two verses – 1 & 2.
Read Romans 12:1-12:21
I would now like to go through this passage verse by verse
Live a Worshipful Life dedicated to the Father
12:1 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.
A beautiful life does not just happen, it is built daily by prayer, humilty, sacrifice and love. May that beautiful life be yours always
Dennis Castillo
Dennis Castillo Filipino Author
In the Old Agreement – an act of worship meant you took an animal and sacrificed it on the altar. Now that Jesus has become our sacrifice for sin – we offer ourselves up as living sacrifices. The problem with living sacrifices, of course, is that we can get up off the altar. Sometimes we feel like we’re “giving it all up for God” but at other times we get scared or selfish and we jump down and say – not today God.
“Spiritual” here means – informed, understanding. It is reasonable to give ourselves to God’s service in light of what God has done for us through Jesus – extending His mercy to us, who didn’t deserve it.
The word “worship” doesn’t actually appear in the Greek – it’s the word: “service” which means – hired service, or service to God. We aren’t slaves in the sense of not having a choice – every day we have a choice to serve God – and we do it because we love Him.
Now Paul doesn’t just leave it there, he goes on to get very specific. First he talks about our relationship with the Father – one of laying down our desires – then he talks about our relationship with ourselves – to be transformed. But notice that it all starts with this – our relationship with God, our laying down our lives for His service – without that, none of the rest is possible.
2. Our Relationship with Ourselves
Live a Transformed Life to find Real Purpose
2 Do not conform any longer 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.
Why has government been instituted at all? Because the passions of man will not conform to the dictates of reason and justice without constraint.
Alexander Hamilton
American, Secretary of the treasury 1755 - 1804
Sacrifices are burned up – their literal chemical properties are different as the fire oxidizes the meat. We as living sacrifices should also be changed – no longer conforming but transformed.
The world system around us sets a pattern for behavior and demands that we conform to that pattern. Instead, Paul says, we should be changed to a different pattern – how? By the renewing of our minds. That word “renewing” comes from the Greek word for “renovation.” For two thousand years Christians have gone to conferences to have their minds renewed. Get away from everything and just focus upon God for a few days. Football teams do it, company managers do it, professional organisations all know it is essential, if you are passionate about something you need to take a few days away to focus on it. Yet sadly many people say ‘I don’t need to go on a Christian conference’.
God takes us a sacrifice and starts a remodelling project on our character and our behaviour invading our lives to change us from the inside out. To really get to grips with the changes God wants to do in our lives, a 25 minute sermon on Sunday morning is not enough.
Change starts with the intellect – we listen to brilliant Christian Bible teacher – his or her wisdom, as they speak the words of God – and we incorporate it into our lives. It happens sometimes when we don’t even know it.
Hebrews 4 tells us “12For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. 13Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” Hebrews 4: 12 - 13
What is the result? The more we know the Word the more we are able “test and approve” Paul says, God’s will. It’s the idea of discerning God’s will. Paul gives that will three qualities – good, pleasing, and perfect. Good means just that – good. What God wants for you is good for you, even if it doesn’t feel like it at the time. Pleasing means “acceptable.” It makes sense, and you can accept it – the more you know God the more He can take you through tough times and its okay – then perfect – it means “complete” or “mature.” God is maturing you, transforming you into His image. And that transformation leads in a certain direction – read on:
3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12
If we just stay in our little church, little issues can become big things, but when we go to a conference we see how big the Christian community is, we see how small we are. It is good to remember, this church is so small compared to the whole Christian community. Humility comes when you recognise you are small, there are teachers, apostles, prophets and evangelists in the Christian community that are so much wiser than you are. Yet we shy away from conferences and we stay in our own little world because we give into the fear that we are so small.
We need to look at our lives realistically – that means not beating ourselves up in some false Christian humility, nor puffing ourselves up. Paul says we should do this according to the measure of faith God has given us. This could indicate that we should gauge our abilities realistically and the gifts God has given us and then act accordingly.
If God has gifted you in leading worship – then you should lead worship. If, however, you are tone deaf, then maybe worship leading isn’t for you. Another way to look at it is to gauge ourselves as compared to the example set for us by Jesus Christ.
I’ve said this a lot – if anyone does something that is not in accordace with the character of Christ then we are not doing the right thing. That puts a lot of pressure on us to learn who Jesus was and what He believed and valued.
In 1st Corinthians 15, Paul says: 49 “And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we bear the likeness of the man from heaven.” 1 Corinthians 15: 49
But what happens is that we do something and feel like we’re something pretty special – and then we look at others around us and we start thinking that we’re better than them and pretty soon we’re not judging ourselves by Christ’s example, but by comparing ourselves to others.
So we need to 1- give our lives over to serving God and let Him renew our corrupt minds, then 2- have an accurate assessment of our lives in light of who Jesus is – THAT is how we can then start to turn outward.
Live a Shared Life to benefit the Christian Community
Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12: 4 -5
Without community service, we would not have a strong quality of life. It’s important to the person who serves as well as the recipient. It’s the way in which we ourselves grow and develop.
Dorothy Height
African American Civil Rights Leader
Each and every one of us has a function in the body of Christ. Do you know what yours is? God often uses us in areas we need to grow. If you are a girl and you were not close to your mum, maybe you need to organise the ladies breakfast, serving God and getting to know the older women at the same time. Same goes for the younger blokes. Maybe it’s visiting the sick, or cleaning the church, or just praying for those you know. The point here is that “each member belongs to all the others and we have a responsibility to receive training”.
Let us see what God thinks of people who avoid Christian conferences and don’t submit themselves to training.
Read Matthew 25: 14 - 30
We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. Romans 12:6
Not everyone is Billy Graham or Paul the Apostle. That’s okay with me. We have different gifts – we need to get over envying someone else’s gift and look to do with diligence what God has called us to do. If you don’t know what God has called you to do, ask Him to reveal it to you – and often He will use the very things that interest you. Next Paul gives some examples.
If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. Romans 12: 6 – 8
Blessed are they who have the gift of making friends, for it is one of God’s best gifts. It involves many things, but above all, the power of going out of one’s self, and appreciating whatever is noble and loving in another.
Thomas Hughes (1822 – 1896)
British, Judge
What I want to point out here is that – it seems there is a positive and negative way to use the gifts God has given us. Prophecy can be encouraging and challenging – or it can be destroying and self serving. Giving can be done begrudgingly or with selfish motives (I’ll give since God will reward me in a specific way that I’m counting on). We have all been to those churches where people want to be up the front, but they cannot sing and they waffle.
Live a Sincere Life in a world of selfishness
Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Romans 12: 9
We were given: Two hands to hold. To legs to walk. Two eyes to see. Two ears to listen. But why only one heart? Because the other was given to someone else. For us to find.
Quote Unknown
The important part is love must be sincere. Ask God for that sincere love for others – do you socialise with people of a different ethnic group to you? Do you mix with older and younger. When you go to your home group or church, do you make an effort to speak to everyone, or do you just hang out with your friends. This is especially important given the world we live in – a world full of evil that often masquerades as good.
Paul says “hate” evil – it comes from a word that means “bad smelling.” Evil, or that which is not like Jesus, should stink so much that we are repelled by it.
Contrast that with “cling” to what is good. It’s the word “glue.” You know, with glue you put it on and for a little bit it’s tacky and you can remove it – but after a while of holding the objects together they become bonded – the glue actually melts a bit of both items and forms a bond between them.
That’s the way it should happen with us. We cling close in our relationship to God, praying, worshiping, reading His Word, letting Him have access to our lives and shape us – and for a while we can kind of come and go in our closeness to Him. God wants us to remain so close that being like Him and doing good won’t be hard – we’ll stick to good like glue.
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves. Romans 12: 10
Loyalty and devotion lead to bravery. Bravery leads to the spirit of self-sacrifice. The spirit of self-sacrifice creates trust in the power of love.
Morihei Ueshiba (1883 – 1969)
Japanese, Athlete Quotes
This goes right along with Paul has just said – be devoted to each other, especially since you are related in Christ. “Honor” means to show respect. Do we do that? Or do we seek people to show respect to us? Do we admit that other people know how to live lives better than us, and submit ourselves to their teaching?
In many ways this is a radical thought – as is the next:
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour, serving the Lord. Romans 12:11
Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my King, God would not in my old age have left me naked to mine enemies.
William Shakespeare
1564-1616, British Poet, Playwright and Actor
I know people who need zeal – they need to catch on fire for God. I also know people with plenty of zeal or fervor – but it’s not serving God. How do you know the difference? Again – have you had training in the character of Christ? Have you been trained in being a good Christian husband, mother, or teenager. This is especially important in light of the world we live in.
Live a Giving Life in the presence of conflict
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 12: 12 – 13
Who practices hospitality entertains God Himself.
Source Unknown
You can tell the true Christian in any crowd. A weak Christian will come to church and only see their friends. A true Christian will invite the visitor for coffee, even if they are of a different age or ethnic group. A true Christian will speak to everyone in their home group and find the person who is lonely. A weak Christian will just hang out with their friends.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Romans 12: 14
Miserable creatures, thrown for a moment on the surface of this little pile of mud, is it decreed that one half of the flock should be the persecutor of the other? Is it for you, mankind, to pronounce on what is good and what is evil?
Marquis De Sade
1740-1814, French Author
Blessing others whom we feel are persecuting us is not natural. When was the last time you received some training in doing this? This is the opposite of what we normally do – but when we have an eternal perspective it becomes easier to love those who hate you. When you sit at the feet of people who know their faith it becomes easier.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12: 15
As God begins to shape your character, you begin to understand the pain of others. Your compassion is not just for people like you, but you become compassionate for others.
16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Romans 12:16
Yet how many times are we tempted to look around the room and look down on others. To not go to a conference because we secretly think the rest of the people are idiots while truthfully it is us with the problem. As a Christian we are called to overcome that feeling and grow.
Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Romans 12: 17 - 18
Going along with “bless those that curse you” we should be careful not to take revenge – and Paul gets to what we should do in a moment. Peace is a hard thing to do, especially when you do not want to be taken advantage of. It is only by mixing with people ‘who have been there and done that’ we learn exactly how to behave.
19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary:
"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." Romans 12
Revenge only engenders violence, not clarity and true peace. I think liberation must come from within.
Sandra Cisneros
American, Author born 1954
35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35
Put it this way, if you feel you are so small and they are so big. Have them around for meal, do something nice for them, see the world through their eyes and they may be able to teach you something.
Paul sums it up nicely with one short sentence:
21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12
Conclusion
It’s actually pretty easy to be overcome by evil. Think about the times you get upset – how once that train starts down the tracks it’s hard to call it back. Someone insults us and we snap back, someone stabs us in the back and we deliberately ignore them. We build up walls of defence around ourselves. The Lord is calling on us to have a different system – instead of “returning evil for evil” we bless instead of curse – fight back with good. We open our lives to teaching, conferences and training in relationships.
I promise you this is not easy. And I don’t mean the kind of grit your teeth and say something nice about the person kind of thing either. But if we look at it this way instead: people do bad things because 1- they don’t know better, or 2 – they are controlled by evil themselves. We can break that cycle – we show them God’s love to break through the cycle of ignorance or control by sin. Every person has a God-shaped hole in their heart – and are often bitter or angry because it can’t be filled by anything other than Jesus.
So we need to find ways to show kindness, consideration, and love – to show them that God really does love them and accepts them through His Son.
Finally, in the coming year are we going to open our lives to the training, teaching and mentoring that can be found in Christian conferences
or
15I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17You say, ’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.
Revelation 3: 15 - 17
Lets us pray.
This sermon draws from work of Tom Fuller ‘Paul’s quick start to Christian living’. The powerpoint for this sermon can be acquired by emailing pastor @ southperthbaptist. org
