A DAY TO SACRIFICE
Romans 12: 1-8 (p789) March 17, 2013
INTRODUCTION:
I have a great fear for Christians who live their lives without much difficulty….And I’m not talking about the difficulties that come as a result of living in a fallen world in a temporary body…(you remember…the one Paul said is subject to death?)
I’m talking about living as a born-again, spirit-filled, and spirit-led follower of Christ…and having difficulty because that life is so opposite to the world it’s lived in.
Here is what I mean…In America…we have young people who accept Christ…sometimes at the age of 10, 11, or 12…..some of them will go to public schools…some not…but they grow up with Christian friends, a quality youth group….even a ministry for them as young adults…living in the world, working in the world is something that is necessary, but most of their friendships and relationships are “In the Church” that’s good and safe for them…but not so good for a world that needs salt and light…
Or, Christians, at least by their acknowledgments who have been in church for a long time…they have created relationships and friendships that are intimate and deep….Maybe they even serve in ministry areas on the weekend….But connecting with the outside world is only done on a short-term mission trip, or in a situation where no one really knows you or will know you afterwards….you witness…but stay at a safe distance, away from difficulty…at least in your “normal” routine day to day…life….
Or how about us minister’s …we’re paid to do ministry…organize church stuff….teach and preach…Monday through Saturday becomes so filled with meetings, preparations, counseling, weddings, funerals…when Sunday rolls around we do what we’ve prepared…but connecting with the lost, outside world…doesn’t happen very much…and the difficulty comes from “church” politics…not outside persecution…living a life inside Christianity…but disconnected with the world…
Here’s what I’ve discovered…unless you are intentional about living as a born again, spirit filled, and led follower of Christ in this world…you won’t have opportunities to fulfill your purpose in life….SATAN will keep you stuck in a “safe” “Comfortable” place…that revolves around you….
I believe this is a great description of the dying church in American (or anywhere)
You see
I GOD DOESN’T CALL THE ARROGANT AND HARDENED BUT A REMANANT CHOSEN BY GRACE
Romans chapters 9, 19 and 11 take the leader through a Jewish History lesson…Moses and Pharaoh, Isaac and Rebecca, Moses and the law, Abraham, Isaiah, Elijah, David and the Patriarchs…
The apostle Paul’s lesson is this in a nutshell…God called the people of Israel…god never rejected His people and He never will…Even when Elijah cried out after His battle on Mt. Carnal with the idol worshipping prophets of Baal…”Lord, Israel….”Lord, Israel has killed your prophets, torn down your altars, I’m the only one left and they’re trying to kill me” (Rom 11:3)
The introduction to our text is simply….God calls….God chooses…Israel is the root…but by His grace now gentiles have been “grafted” in, “Like a wild Olive branch” ….Gentiles…do not become arrogant…but tremble.” (v20)…don’t be ignorant of the history…of this precedent…or you’ll forget God’s kindness and become conceited…and Paul then quotes from Isaiah and from Job
Romans 11: 33-36 (p789)
It’s a warning and a praise…whether Jew or whether Gentile, God has mercy on us all…don’t try to figure Him out…Don’t become arrogant thinking that you have anything to give to God….or that you’ve repaid Him with your service…BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE HAVE, EVERTHING WE ARE OR EVER CAN BE…EVERYTHING GOOD AND EVERYTHING OF REAL VALUE HE CREATED…INCLUDING YOU!!!!
THEREFORE… (Not because you are the promised descendants of Abraham and not because you are gentiles grafted in like a “Wild Olive Branch” but because at one time you were disobedient and now you have received mercy…
Why do we forget that?....Were we too young to really understand “mercy”? Have we been nice and good and comfortable so long now that we don’t think we need it? Do we work so hard, sacrifice so much that we think we’ve evened out the playing field with God?...and we become arrogant, hardened, and we deny the grace that is so amazing and essential to such a degree we dry up, stop producing fruit and are only good for firewood?
Listen….”Therefore, 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.”
There are 2 kinds of service…service that is done for personal glory and recognition or service that is “Holy and pleasing to God.”
One of these is done “in view of God’s mercy” the other is done “in view of men’s applause.”
Don’t get me wrong…encouragement is important…it’s absolutely something that revives and refreshes our soul…it’s like water when you’re dying of thirst.
In fact it’s listed with the different gift the Holy spirit infused gifts within the body of the church…”If your gift is to encourage, then give encouragement.”
But serving from a heart that remembers God’s mercy, and is presented on the altar of God in worship…has a completely different character than service done out of duty…or service done for recognition…
Paul said, “By the grace given to 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 faith God as distributed to each of you.” (Romans 12:3)
That means, according to the apostle Paul…”I have my place because of God’s grace…you have your place because of God’s grace…The only accurate way to understand ourselves is by what God is…and by what he does for us, NOT BY WHAT WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO FOR HIM.”
[It would be like the paintbrush in Leonardo Di Vinci hand bragging about the amazing picture its painted.]
The danger is sometimes we start with the right attitude of sacrifice, but after awhile we forget, and instead of having our minds renewed through God’s word. Through worship, through the Holy spirits word…We keeping serving, keep working,,,, but because we have cut ourselves off from the renewal of true worship…we become arrogant, or bitter…or unforgiving…we no longer seek God’s will….or desire to test and approve it…because our will has it all figured out.
Please, never ever forget…
II EACH OF US BELONG TO ONE ANOTHER
Romans 12: 4, 5 (p790)
Healthy bodies functions with each of its parts doing what its designed to do for the good of the whole bodies…but these bodies we live in are “subject to death”…they’re temporary…so when something breaks down, or its cells start fighting each other in cancer…it doesn’t function well…it gets really sick…
The church is just like the human body…at least according to Paul…it has different parts…in fact the Holy Spirit gives different gifts to each part…so who determines those gifts? God does by grace!”
The world is shaped by one pattern…selfishness…and if we live according to the world’s pattern we’ll be shaped just like everyone else…
But the church (Big “C” not little “c”) is shaped by God’s grace…it’s molded by god’s mercy. In fact when the church functions in a healthy way…as God intended, In His good pleasing and perfect will….each part would always think about the whole, and others before itself…not just on Sundays…but each day…”Every day is a day you and I lay ourselves on God’s altar in worship.”
Every day I want to do what I shouldn’t…I don’t do what I should…I struggle with worldly thoughts and selfish attitudes…if I’m not careful I can give them free reign and start acting just like the world…it’s become my pattern…but if I am a Born Again, Spirit filled believer…that spirit will be at war with those attitudes and actions and thoughts…and either I will have to quench the Spirit or quench that pattern…The worst thing about being a living sacrifice is that a living sacrifice can keep crawling off the altar of God…it’s an intentional sacrifice I have to make every day with my heart, mind, soul and strength.
The gifts that are mentioned in verse 6-8 are all given for “others to come to know Christ…or grow to be fully surrendered followers of Christ…Prophecy is preaching…sharing the word of God…with those outside the kingdom for evangelism “They cannot believe unless they Hear …faith comes by hearing…but preaching and teaching involves ministering others…helping others understand “truth” and how they can live that truth…encouragement literally means “to breathe courage into someone” if you are a “Barnabas” then encourage with all your heart. Some serve…in places no one will ever see or notice…but some of the most vital parts of the body you cannot see..if you are able to give…If God’s grace has given you the gift of overseeing worldly riches…give generously, each of us are to tithe, but this is above the tithe…mercy is grace extended….forgiveness and restoration offered…do this cheerfully if it’s your gift….if you are gifted in leadership…then do it diligently, intentionally…it’s the gift of disciple making in action, it’s deliberate.
If you are a born-again Spirit filled follower of Christ…then His Spirit has enabled you to fulfill your part in the body of Christ…you exist so that your spiritual gift effects others…It’s a sacrifice you are called to lay on the altar of worship everyday…”This is your true and proper worship”
[I gave you each a portion of tea as you came in…some of you might love tea, some of you never drink tea…I don’t really care…
I want you to do something with that tea this week…in fact tomorrow morning…I want you to think about your influence for Christ in the world everyday…
Jesus said, you are the light of the world…a town built on a hill cannot be hidden…Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put in on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house…IN THE SAME WAY, Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your father in heaven.” (Matt 6: 14-16)
The tea was created for a purpose…as long as it stays in its holder it accomplishes nothing of its purpose…the tea only becomes what its intended to be when its put in hot water…
You were born-again, filled with God’s Spirit for a purpose…and until God seeps out of you into your world…for His glory...you will never understand what being a living sacrifice is…or be able to test and approve that will in your life…But please remember, that purpose that flavor is only accomplished in Hot water.
Tomorrow morning…before you leave…will you remember this truth, will you pray for opportunities and when the Holy Spirit reveals them, will you please have the courage to lay yourself on the altar…
Let’s pray.
