Sermon Brief
Date Written: August 18, 2012
Date Preached: August 19, 2012
Where Preached: OPBC (AM)
Sermon Details:
Series Title: A Journey thru Romans
Sermon Title: Shining God in the Believer’s Life
Sermon Text: Romans 12-15 [NLT] Overview
Introduction:
Let’s review a little of where we have come from since we began our journey in the book of Romans last November… WOW… it’s been a long time but we have learned SO much!
First we learned in chapters 1-3 that humanity is without excuse and that we are all sinners and hopeless to rid ourselves of the sin that separates us from God. Paul paints a rather grim picture for humanity…
In Rom 4-8 Paul speaks about the deliverance that is available through Jesus Christ and that this deliverance from Jesus is full and complete… Paul speaks of being made right before God in heaven… justified!! Able to stand before God without blame or fault! This is made possible NOT by our works or deeds but thru the work of Christ and the saving faith he grants to those who truly seek Him…
In Rom 9-11 we have seen Paul speak about how God chose Israel and how God chooses… we may not understand his choices, but God IS in the choosing business and he has chosen to make a way that we can CHOOSE Him!
We learned that the TRUE Israel is NOT based on the physical descendants of Abraham, but those who have the same faith that Abraham did when He trusted God…
We are hopelessly lost in sin with NO way to redeem ourselves…
Jesus Christ has become the supreme sacrifice for our deliverance!
God has chosen THRU HIS SON Jesus… to bring salvation to those who have faith in Him!
So the 1st 11 chapters of set up the final few chapters of this letter for Paul to instruct the believers on HOW they are to conduct themselves as believers in this world…
Today we are actually going to look at the next full section for this letter and it is chapter 12 thru 15… but don’t worry we are not going to read ALL those verses!
Shining God’s Light is OUR DUTY (12:1)
Called to shine God’s light by His Word (13:1)
Called to shine God’s Light among ALL believers (14:1; 15:1)
Today I want us to see how Paul addresses specific areas of conduct for the believer and how we should be living out our witness for Christ…
Paul sets the template for how we should interact with the world by setting the example of how we should live INDIVIDUALLY, how we should live in accordance with the Word of God and finally how we should live in fellowship with other believers…
Shining God’s Light – OUR DUTY (12:1)
[NLT] 1And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.
[NIV] 1Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
[HCSB] 1Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship.
Now Paul begins this verse with the word ‘Therefore’ which again, let me emphasize that this word is here to signal a transition in thought or subject… HERE it is placed to transition the readers FROM where we have COME as believers… to WHERE we should be headed as believers…
This ‘therefore’ not only sets off this chapter but it actually sets off an entire section of this letter… but when we look at chp12 we can see that Paul is writing specifically about how we are to shine the light of God… what is OUR responsibility and duty as believers!
The 2nd thing that jumps out at me when I read this is Paul’s tone… Paul is not merely sharing information with the readers of this letter but he is passionate about them NOT only reading it but living out what he is teaching! Look at his words here…
NLT – “…I plead with you…”
NIV & HCSB – “…I urge you…”
But not only is Paul’s plea a passionate urging to emphasize the importance of his urging Paul qualifies it by saying…
NLT - “…because of all God has done for you…”
NIV – “…in view of God’s mercy…”
HCSB – “…by the mercies of God…”
In other words Paul is re-emphasizing to the readers and to US today… that he was passionate about them living as they should… He URGED them to live as they should and FIRST and foremost it was because they did NOT deserve to even be here…
By God’s mercy… by the mercies of God… because of all what God has done for you… Here Paul is telling them listen people; you are only here because God has shown you mercy and offered His grace… So because of this great blessing I am urging you to live as you should FOR God!
Then Paul begins to share some more specifics about what he means here… after his passionate plea Paul’s words that really jump out at you when you are reading this verse is the word, give or offer or present…
This is the Greek word par-is'-tay-mee which means:
To provide or to place a person or thing at another’s disposal… in other words what Paul is telling us here is that BECAUSE of what God has done we should be fully willing to provide ourselves at God’s disposal…
Can you imagine what the church would look like if we had church members in the pews that lived their lives like this? Church members whose 1st thought everyday was how can I make myself more available to God’s will and purpose… thinking of God’s purposes FIRST!
Now I understand that this is very difficult thing that Paul is setting forth and as he continues this verse we can see that he understands how difficult it is as well…
Look at what he says…
NLT - “…a living and holy sacrifice…”
NIV & HCSB – “…a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing…”
This is telling us 2 things… first Paul is calling us to be a LIVING sacrifice, which means that he is calling us to live our lives sacrificially FOR Christ. He is calling us to PRESENT our lives as a sacrifice… place our lives upon the altar of God allowing HIM to use us as he sees fit…
The 2nd thing we see here is the word ‘holy’… we are a living sacrifice in that we are called to LIVE out our faith, but we are also a HOLY sacrifice… a sacrifice that is set aside strictly for the purpose of God! Set aside by God for HIS plan and purpose! We are called to live out our lives as God has set us aside to do… and that this is pleasing to God!
We please God when we submit to Him. We please God when we surrender our will and serve Him as He desires us to serve! We are called to be a living and holy sacrifice…
Paul uses the word ‘sacrifice’ here for a very specific reason. This actually the Greek word thoo-see-ahh which means victim or a sacrifice. This means that OUR pride and self determination become victims and sacrifices to the WILL of God!
You NO longer are your own… but God has bought you with a price! Jesus died on the Cross to pay for your sin and now you owe allegiance and service… dedicated and submissive service to the God who has made your salvation possible!
And look how Paul ends this verse…
NLT - “…truly the way we worship…” a statement of fact by Paul… this is just the way TRUE believers act!
NIV – “…true and proper worship…” Here Paul is telling the believers that not only is a TRUTH in that God has delivered us, but that this the right thing to do, the PROPER thing… the correct thing to do!
HCSB – “…your spiritual worship…” worship is giving to God what is rightfully His… the submission of our heart, soul and mind to Christ is definitely WORSHIP on our part because God has bought us by His blood… redeemed us through His son Jesus!
In other words what Paul is saying here in this section and throughout chp12… is that because God has done what He has done in Jesus… we are called to live a certain way! We are called to give ALL of who we are to God for HIS plan… HIS purpose… His desires! We are called to surrender all of ourselves to HIM!
The question today is… IS THIS HOW YOU ARE LIVING FOR GOD? Today are you a ‘living sacrifice’ set aside for God’s perfect plan? How is your walk with Him? Is it all about YOU seeking Him OR is it all about YOU trying to get God to listen to you?
Here Paul calls on us to surrender who we are to God… why? Because it is the RIGHT thing to do because of what He has done for us in Christ Jesus!
But not only does Paul lay out in this section on what our duty is as believers, but he also instructs us on how to live in accordance with God’s word… Look at ch13:1 with me…
Shining God’s Light According to His Word (13:1)
[NLT] 1Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.
[NIV] 1Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
[HCSB] 1Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God.
Once again here is that word that so many believers do NOT like and simply refuse to accept… SUBMIT! Here in this verse and in this section Paul sets forth a template of how we are to live…
In ch12 we are called to sacrifice ourselves and our desires for the will of God because that is the right thing to do because of what He has done for us…
HOWEVER, in ch13 Paul gets a bit more specific about our actions and how we live our lives… this instruction in v.1 here of ch13 is an instruction that the Jews of the 1st century AND the Gentiles of the 1st century would have had difficulty understanding…
Both were suffering under the heavy oppression of the Roman Empire… subject to their taxes and to their harsh laws and imposing presence in their lives, and here Paul was telling them to SUBMIT to their authority!
Today we have believers who have a very hard time with this verse as well… Now it does NOT matter what political party you subscribe to… there will ALWAYS be people who are UNHAPPY with those who are in power, those who are in office!
But the Bible is very clear in its call for believers… we are called to submit to the authority of those placed over us. This means that when those authorities pass laws, we are called to obey them as best we can… unless those laws violate God’s law!
What this means is NOT that we are to consider ourselves slaves to the state and that we must cower at their every whim… NOT AT ALL… this also does not mean that we cannot civilly protest against something that we find to be morally repugnant and against the laws of God… such as abortion!
But what is the most important thing we need to remember here is that we are not called to be anti-government radicals, but our calling is one of love, faith and allowing God to work…
You see if WE protest and change happens… we can claim victory! BUT if we love, have faith and allow God to work thru our witness… God receives the glory for the changes made!
Basically what Paul is telling us here is that God is in control! Just as God is in control in choosing the nation of Israel… Just as God is in control sending Jesus to die on the Cross for the forgiveness of sin… Just as God is in control in granting forgiveness, mercy, grace and salvation to all who place their faith and trust in Him…
God is also in control of who is in authority… even though we may NOT agree with it or understand why!
Let me give you an example…
In the OT, we find on MANY examples where God actually used those in power to punish the nation of Israel. People such as Nebuchadnezzar and Darius… both were kings of a foreign land… both were used by God to bring about difficult times upon the nation of Israel…
I am sure that there were not many, if any, Israelite who understood God’s choices of who was in power… they simply could not see past the situation before them… but as history unfolds we see the plan of God working and His purpose being fulfilled!
I am sure that Naomi had NO idea that God was in control when her husband died and her 2 sons died and she was left a widow and penniless in a foreign land…
But God was in control and he used that situation to bring RUTH back to Israel to marry Boaz, to be the great grandmother of King David and also in the line of Jesus himself!
People we must understand that God’s word is clear on this matter… we are called to live our lives submitted and surrendered to His calling because HE IS IN CONTROL!
It doesn’t matter who is in office… it doesn’t matter what party they represent… it doesn’t matter how bad it may seem… God is in control and we are called to submit to HIM at all times!
Later in this chapter Paul stresses the 2 most important things a believer can do when faced to submit to authority when it seems as if that authority is against God and things are not well…
Paul says first that as believers our primary duty is LOVE! He tells the readers in 13:8 “…don’t owe anyone anything, except to love one another…” the important thing for any believer to remember is that LOVE must be at the center of our universe… LOVE must be our underlying foundation…
Paul tells the readers that LOVE, as expressed thru the believer in Christ… fulfills all the commandments of the law! We are called to love God and to love others… LOVE MUST BE 1st in our lives!
The 2nd thing Paul tells us is that we are to PUT ON CHRIST… we are to WEAR our faith outwardly, and live outwardly according to the principles and teachings of Jesus Christ!
Paul says to walk in decency… not carousing or drunk
Paul says to walk in purity… not in sexual impurity or promiscuity
Paul tells us to walk in unity… not arguing and jealousy toward one another
He sums this up by saying, “…put on Christ and make NO plans to satisfy the fleshy desires…” This was Paul’s way of saying… Hey guys, submitting to authority placed above you is going to take you focusing on LOVE and CHRIST… don’t focus on yourself and your desires… they will lead you to a false destination… one that is a lie! But focus on love and Christ and you will be pleasing to God!
We are called to serve God because of what He has done for us
We are called to submit to authority by focusing on Love and Christ in our lives and NOT our own selfish desires…
But Paul also says in this section that we should be…
Shining God’s Light among ALL believers (14:1; 15:1)
[NLT] 14:1Accept other believers who are weak in faith, and don’t argue with them about what they think is right or wrong. 15:1We who are strong must be considerate of those who are sensitive about things like this. We must not just please ourselves.
[NIV] 14:1 Accept the one whose faith is weak, without quarreling over disputable matters. 15:1 We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
[HCSB] 14:1 Accept anyone who is weak in faith, but don’t argue about doubtful issues. 15:1 Now we who are strong have an obligation to bear the weaknesses of those without strength, and not to please ourselves.
Now the 1st calling in ch12 is difficult…
The 2nd calling in ch13 is a little harder…
But this calling found in chs14-15 is simply what drives most Christians crazy!
We are called to live for God because of what He has done for us, focusing on love and Christ in our lives and NOT on our own desires… and we are called to be unified with our brethren in Christ…
This is a hard teaching, but it is one that MUST be heard, learned and practiced if we want to be the church God desires of us… look what Paul says:
1st – Accept the weak believer!
2nd – Don’t argue over things that cannot be settled!
3rd – Don’t seek to please ourselves!
All 3 of these commands from Paul on living for God goes against EVERYTHING we are as humans…
1st – accepting the weak is something we have trouble doing, especially over a period of time. We may be willing to reach out to the weak at first and offer support, but what about those who STAY weak… who cannot seem to shake their weaknesses?
Often we tire of them and want to turn our backs on them… but Paul KNOWING THAT THE WEAK will always be with us… Paul tells us not only to accept them but to bear them up…
That means that we are to love them… we are to BE Christ around them… we are to teach them, and when they don’t learn, we are to love them and teach them again… this is difficult, but it IS what we are called to do and how we are called to live!
The 2nd thing Paul speak about is that we are to NOT argue over things that cannot be settled. Now I don’t know about you but I don’t like to LOSE an argument and I don’t like to be called wrong… and I also don’t like to know that anyone else THINKS I’m wrong!
We all want to be right and we all want to have others agree with us about things… especially when it comes to serving God.
I have a really close friend… our families became close in Seminary and we formed a great bond. Although we do not stay in contact enough today, I know that this man is my friend…
But do you know what? He and I disagree on several issues of theology and doctrine! We have discussed it and we have debated it… but the one thing we NEVER did was argue! We came to the conclusion that arguing would never ‘solve’ anything and would only bring about animosity!
This is what Paul is speaking about… when it comes to things that cannot be settled we are called NOT to argue, but it goes further than this… we are not to be argumentative at all… We are called to LOVE and put on Christ in all we do… and in doing so, arguing to satisfy our egos is CANNOT be a priority!
We are called to accept and bear up the weak… those we MAY deem unworthy!
We are called to NOT be argumentative with those we may deem as wrong or misguided in their faith…
But Paul also says we are called to think of OTHERS first and NOT ourselves. This is simply against everything we know about human nature! To think of others first is not in our nature! Especially if we think they are weak and wrong in their faith…
But Paul calls us to THINK of them first… this is for the unity of the body. NOW I want us to understand that Paul is NOT saying that we allow those who are weak and not grounded in their faith to rule the church… NOT AT ALL!
But what Paul is saying is that we are called to lead as Christ lead… in love and seeking out the needs of others before meeting your own need!
When we face those who are weak in their faith it is our duty to undergird them with strong teaching so as to grow their faith and strengthen their walk… establishing the WORD of God as the foundational groundwork for faith!
When we find those who want to argue, we refer to the truth of Scripture without being argumentative and rest our case on Scripture, and when it is NOT clear in Scripture we must be willing to say I DON’T KNOW… pride cannot rule our hearts here!
Finally, when others are in need we must seek to meet their need… be it strengthening their faith or helping them to seek the truth in Scripture about what they may not understand… ours is NOT to Lord over… but to love and put on the cloak of Christ!
Conclusion:
For us to understand what Paul is saying here in this section of Romans, one only needs to look at the life of Christ!
Jesus never gave up on His disciples even though they were very weak in their faith and failed Him constantly… even to the point where they abandoned Him on the night He died
Jesus, who was perfect, and DID have all the answers… never argued with His disciples, but taught them... many times we find situations where Jesus may seem frustrated with their lack of learning or grasping His teaching… he never argued with them but continued to teach them!
Finally, we know that Christ lived His life with a focus of serving God and God’s plan and purpose… In doing so, Jesus invested Himself in 12 men, giving of Himself, teaching them…
Jesus’ actions let us know that His focus was NOT on His life or what notoriety He would achieve, but it was all about investing in these 12 men and making them into what God wanted them to become…
So my question this morning is WHERE ARE YOU BELIEVER? Are you living like God desires you to live?
Are you serving God out of the gratitude for what He has done for you by presenting yourself to Him… for HIS plans… at HIS disposal?
Are you submitting to authority and trusting that God is in control… by showing the LOVE of God and putting on the cloak of Christ in all you do and say?
Are you willing to invest in those who are weaker in the faith than you? Those who will disappoint you and let you down? Those who may try to argue and fuss about everything… those who may seem selfish in their outlook? Are you giving of yourself for Christ?
Today you have heard what Paul has to say… I want to know where you are as a believer… If you don’t know Christ as Savior…[give invitation here]
Come as Bro Ken comes to lead us in our hymn of invitation…
