Cornerstone Church September 25/26, 2010
“WHAT GOD WANTS!”
Romans 12:1-2
Illustration from Exodus
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.
“But if the servant declares, ‘I love my master and my wife and children and do not want to go free,’ then his master must take him before the judges. He shall take him to the door or the doorpost and pierce his ear with an awl. Then he will be his servant for life.
Ex. 21:2-6 NIV
The servant (slave) willing devoted themselves to their master for the rest of his/her life.
It was a commitment based on love!
It was a commitment based on their decision!
The servant was “All-in!”
No holding back!
HAVE YOU MADE THAT DECISION REGARDING CHRIST?
Are you “All-In” for Jesus?
If not it may be because you still have questions.
* Is understanding the mind and will of God for your life still a mystery?
* Are you puzzled by big words like – discipleship?
* Do you love the Lord and want to honor Him with your life? But how?
* Have you asked should I serve more, give more, and study more?
* Even if you have been a follower of Christ for many years are these questions still on your heart?
What God Wants Is You!
* You can’t earn your salvation! – He paid it all!
* You do not earn brownie points for what you sacrifice!
* Serving God in the power of the flesh can leave you discouraged, disillusioned and disinterested in the work of the LORD!
Let’s turn to Romans 12:1-2!
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 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.
Rom. 12:1-2 NIV
OUTLINE:
THE BASIS OF COMMITMENT (vs. 12:1a)
THE CHARACTER OF COMMITMENT (vs. 12:1b)
THE DEMANDS OF COMMITMENT (vs. 12:2a)
THE EFFECTS OF COMMITMENT (vs. 12:2b)
Taken from R. Kent Hughes, “Romans – Preaching the Word Commentary”
THE BASIS OF COMMITMENT
12:1a
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers,
in view of God's mercy…”
The Apostle Paul is commanding Christians to action.
THE COMMAND: “offer yourself as a living sacrifice to God!”
The motivation for the command is “God’s Mercy!”
THEREFORE
Links what is being said to what has been said!
Paul from Romans Chapter 1 – Chapter 11 has been teaching about our need of salvation and how God solved that need through His Son the LORD Jesus Christ.
Foundation stone upon foundation stone have been laid:
Mankind’s Problem Sin – all are guilty (chapters 1-3)
God’s Solution Salvation – Jesus paid it all (chapters 4-5)
God’s Provision Sanctification – cleansing power (chapters 6-8)
God’s Faithfulness Sovereignty – keeping power (chapters 9-11)
Great concepts such as:
* Grace
* The just shall live by faith!
* Justification! – Jesus was the Just and the Justifier!
* Security of the Believer!
Paul comes to a point and he can no longer contain himself and he writes:
Rom. 11:33-36 NIV Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?” “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
“Therefore”
Because of God’s Mercy
“HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE?”
Dr. Francis Shaeffer
THE CHARACTER OF COMMITMENT
12:1b
“…to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
“All-In” for Jesus!
You were captive to sin!
You were a slave to the world system!
Jesus redeemed you out of the slave market of sin
* Paid the price!
* Purchased us back!
* Paid the ransom!
1Pet. 1:18-19 NIV For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
COMMITMENT IS TOTAL AND REASONABLE (LOGICAL)
Total Commitment
“…to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,”
Your body = your entire being (mind, body, soul)
Deut. 6:5 NIV Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.
Body reflects our humanity and our fleshly old nature. It is here that Satan attempts to establish a beachhead in our lives.
Impure motives
Unholy thoughts
Unholy longings
Eph. 4:27 NIV “…and do not give the devil a foothold.”
The body in itself is good. Everything, God created was good. It is what is done with it that can be sinful. It is the temple of the Holy Spirit.
1Cor. 6:19 NIV Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
To speak for God We need our mouths
To hear the Word We need our ears
To serve God We need our feet to get us there and our hands
Illustration:
Have you ever signed a blank check and given it to someone?
Have you been given a blank check?
Sadly many Christians have substituted what we are in Christ for what we do for Christ!
So when we think of total commitment we fear:
What we are going to lose!
What we are going to give up!
How much we are going to have to serve!
What we are going to have to change!
Biblical Christianity = signing over the blank check of our lives to Jesus!
Jesus – “I’m All-In!”
You fill in the rest Lord – the blank slate of my life!
What you want me to do vocationally?
Where you want me to go?
Who you want me to marry?
My Dreams
My Goals
My Future
My Family
My possessions!
Lord, I am trusting that you know what is best for me!
God, you are upstream and known my future!
God, you made me and know my strengths, weaknesses and gifts!
Jesus – “I’m All-In!”
Everyone can be “All-In” for Jesus
Children
Youth
Adults
New Christians
Mature Christians
This commitment is based on love for the LORD Jesus Christ!
Reasonable (logical) Commitment
“..holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
“Which is your reasonable service.”
or
“Spiritual act of worship”
All of life is sacred!
All we do an act of worship!
1Cor. 10:31 NIV So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
“All-in” for Jesus is a 24/7/365 Commitment!
THE DEMANDS OF COMMITMENT
12:2a
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,
but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Do not model your behavior on the contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and mature. Romans 12:2 New Jerusalem Bible
Do not let the world squeeze you into its mould, but instead let yourself be transformed by the renewing of your mind. ~ J B Phillips Romans 12:2
Negative Command
“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world,”
As a Christian you are in a constant state of tug of war with the world!
Jesus bought you with His precious blood!
The world wants to buy you too!
It offers fame!
It offers power!
It offers riches!
It offers popularity!
It offers sex!
1 John 2:15-17 NIV Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.
Lust of the flesh - hedonism
Lust of the eyes - materialism
Pride of Life – egoism
“The world’s system and its values are clearly expressed in these three passions. They are the supercharged desires we have for pleasure, possessions, and position that promise significance, security and happiness. The message behind every commercial and nearly all advertisements is rooted in tapping into one of these desires.”
Chip Ingram, “Living on the Edge: Dare to Experience True Spirituality”, pg 63
Chip Ingram goes on to say,
“I’m amazed that even in our sin we figure a way to make it ‘about us.’ My sin, my problem, my behavior, my addiction, my struggles, my difficult background, all are words and phrases that focus on us.”
Chip Ingram, “Living on the Edge: Dare to Experience True Spirituality”, pg 69
Positive Command
“…but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Transformed = metamorphosis
2Cor. 5:17 NIV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Rom. 8:29 NIV For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Don’t be conformed passively by the world but be transformed by renewing your mind!
How you act flows from how you think!
If you want to change how you act you need to change how you think!
“Stop allowing yourselves to be molded by the influences and pressures of this present world we live in. Stop allowing satan to dupe you, con you, use you, trick you, promise you life and love and power through a seductive world system that will only deliver disappointment, defeat, depression, and make you a slave to sin.”
Chip Ingram, “Living on the Edge: Dare to Experience True Spirituality”, pg 57
Dr. James M. Boice was right. What we need is:
Mind Renewal in a Mindless Age: Preparing to Think and Act Biblically!
THE EFFECTS OF COMMITMENT
12:2b
Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Knowing the will of God
Knowing the mind of God
Comes from knowing the Word of God, which renews and cleanses your mind!
God knows what is best for you!
God’s plan for your life is best for you!
For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psa. 139:13-16
King David believed God’s plan for his life was good:
Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Psa. 23:6 NIV
So in light of all God has done for you how are you going to respond?
He doesn’t want more religious rituals!
He doesn’t want you to try to earn His affection!
“What God Wants Is You!”
All of you!
Jesus, “I’m All-In”
I’m willing to hand over the blank slate of my life to you!
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot
keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Jim Elliot – Martyred Missionary
Five of the Missionaries were martyred on January 8, 1956!
Was Jim Elliot’s quote still true?
“He is no fool who gives what he cannot
keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”
Jim Elliot had described himself and the four others as
“a bunch of nobodies trying to exalt Somebody”
Was it worth it?
Even after all of the pain and suffering each family had to endure?
The family members believed so!
They continued to offer God the blank slate of their lives!
Year after year members of the tribe were reached.
Gikita, the leader of the spearing party, put it this way: “My heart was black with sin! But Jesus’ blood dripped and dripped and washed my heart clean.”
And Mincaye, another on Palm Beach in 1956, declared, “We lived badly, badly until they brought us God’s carvings. Now, walking His trail, we live happily and in peace.”
What happened?
Their minds and hearts were renewed by God’s Word!
Later, as Mincaye grew in his faith, he added, “God does not see it well that we should walk His trail alone. Going first, we must speak God’s name well wherever we go. Then, going to God’s place we will take many others following after us.”
Are you, All-In for Jesus?!
Let Him have the blank slate of your life!
Sermon Resources:
The Bible
Accordance Bible
Romans, Volume 4, by Dr. James M. Boice
The MacArthur New Testament Commentary - Romans 9-16 by Dr. John MacArthur
Preaching the Word Commentary on Romans by Dr. R. Kent Hughes
Living on the Edge: Dare to Experience True Spirituality by Dr. Chip Ingram
“What God Wants!” Romans 12:1-2 September 25/26, 2010 11
