Romans 12:1-2 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. (2) Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.
SANCTITY AND SERVICE
Text: Romans 12:1-2
"When the Titanic went down, a worthy woman took into the lifeboat, not her diamonds, but a bag of oranges. It will be very important, where we are going that we value the right things. Worship often makes us examine our luggage." (Leslie D. Weatherhead. Time For God. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1967, p. 50). How has our worship made us examine our luggage?
Christians cannot be transformed by default. That is an interesting term, "default". When we hear the term default, we usually tend to think about how a "failure" or a "lapse" of some kind has occurred. Default is the result of "neglect" or "delinquency". Many (if not all) of the answering machines that they make today have default message on them so that if the owner does not wish to record an "outgoing message" the machine will do one for you. It is called a default message. When it comes to worship, we have to put forth an effort because sincere worship does not happen by default.
The word "worship" comes from the words "worth + ship". Worship means adoration for our Creator, Sustainer and Redeemer---the Holy Trinity whom we seek to glorify and exalt.
Worship therefore involves the body, the mind and the will.
THE BODY
Do you remember what Paul says about being set free from a wretched sinful body of death? He mentions that in Romans 7:24.
1) Death analogy: Remember that Paul implies an analogy of how they would sometimes execute murderers by tying them to a corpse. That is indeed wretched.
2) Rap sheet: Who wants to be mastered by the power of sin and tortured by the guilt of sin as Satan constantly reminds you that you sinned and are not worthy of redemption of God’s redemption? Have you been delivered from that wretchedness yet? Or do you feel heavily burdened with the power of sin? How awesome is it that Jesus sets you free when you are truly penitent!
3) Caught: What did Jesus say the crew that was ready to stone the woman caught in adultery?
4)Scales: But, if we are honest with ourselves, don’t we still want to throw stones at other sinners? Don’t we hide the fact that we weigh and measure the sins of others while neglecting to apply the scales to ourselves? If God were to weigh every one of us on His scales we would be found wanting and wanting very badly (Daniel 5:27 paraphrased).
5) Disqualified: Jesus said “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7). “They knew the thrill of exercising power to condemn; Jesus knew the thrill of exercising the power to forgive.” (Barclay). Immediately those legal experts and Pharisees were disqualified to throw rocks at another sinner and they went away one by one (John 8:9). That disqualification applies to you too! It also applies to me!
6) The Savior’s advice: What did Jesus say to that woman to the woman that was caught in adultery when they were ready to stone her? Jesus said “Go and sin no more!” Jesus didn’t say “Do your best.” No! Jesus said “Go and sin no more”.
7) Analogies: If you had been rescued from a burning house? Woud you turn around and walk right back in? Do you think that those that God rescued from Sodom and Gomorah would go back? (see Amos 4:11). Would you go back like a dog returning to his vomit? “Fools are famous for repeating their errors, like dogs are known to return to their vomit” (Proverbs 26:11 TPT). Do you know any fools like that? Have you ever been one of those fools?
8) Grace: We are saved only by God’s grace: Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— (9) not by works, so that no one can boast (NIV).
What are we to do with this new found freedom?
Romans 12:1 gives us the answer. Isn’t presenting our bodies as living sacrifices that are pleasing to God and extension of the advice gave to go and sin no more? Someone paraphrased Romans 12:1 this way: I therefore beg of you, please, brethren, through the mercies of God, by a once for all presentation, to place your bodies at the disposal of God, a sacrifice, a living one, a holy one, well-pleasing, your rational, sacred service. (Kenneth S. Wuest. Greek Word Studies in New Testament). Would God be well pleased with the way that we present our bodies living sacrificially for Him?
We are called to offer our bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God. We do this by not conforming to the world's ways but by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:1-2 paraphrased). "For it is God who works in you [us] to will and to act according to his good purpose" (Philipians 2:13 NIV). It is funny how no matter how technology advances, people by their human nature are still the same today as they have always been.
Remember how children always had to have the latest fad to fit in when you growing up? I can remember those days.
1) Eye candy seal of approval: The world teaches us that how we look on the outside is what is important. When I was a teenager in Georgetown, the style was to wear, Levi's, Lee or Wrangler in the blue jean department. Later, other jeans manufacturers like Calvin Klein, Gas, Mudd, Arizona. The in style shoes were Nike, Adidas, Converse, Asahi and etc. It was about this time of year, when we would go shopping for clothes and shoes when I was a teenager. God looks at the heart because who we are in our heart inwardly is what matters to God!
2) Not fitting in: I remember when I was fifteen, I had a pair of jeans from a "not-so-cool" brand. I remember how some of my peers even made fun of those jeans when I wore them to school.
THE MIND
Is your mind hostile toward God?
Paul makes an excellent case for how being governed by the flesh is spiritually deadly. Romans 8:6-8 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. (7) The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. (8) Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
What could a mind that is hostile God look like?
The late comedian and actor Chris Farley thought that once he had his acting and comedian career going that he would have it made. He thought that show business and all that goes with it, fame and money in the bank, would help him reach that place where as he said, "the laws of the universe would not apply". He also noted that philosophy was false because he "still had to work on relationships and battle his weight and other demons as well". It was unfortunate that he died at the age of 33 with a drug habit. (Craig Brian Larson. Choice Contemporary Stories & Illustrations For Preachers, Teachers, & Writers. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1998, p. 251). The only real way that anyone can have peace with himself or herself is through a relationship with God.
I am reminded of the story that I read about a four-year-old boy. "We don't like to think that sins lying beneath the surface need to be cleansed. We're like the four-year-old who didn't like soap and water especially when his mother used it to get to those hard-to-get-at places on his face. One day she tried to reason with him and said, "but you want to be clean don't you?" "Yes," he whimpered, "but can't you just dust me off?" (Our Daily Bread. Grand Rapids: December, January and February, 1989-1990, p. 6). Are there times when we would rather God just “dust us off” rather than washing us and making us clean?
Chris Farley seemed to work on the "default principle". God's grace is designed to help us keep the right relationship with God. The right relationship with God cannot be maintained by just “dusting us off”. Maintaining the right relationship by fanning the flame (NIV), rekindling the gift of God (RSV), stirring up the gift of God (KJV), (2 Timothy 1:6). That metaphor means that there is effort on our part.
That is where the "will" comes in.
THE WILL
The part of our personality that has to do with making decisions is what we call the will.
1) Two wills; “St. Augustine once said that "there are two wills and that each of them possesses what the other lacks". (Augustine. Confessions). You have to fan the flame of the gift of salvation that God has given you and that is a matter of the will.
2) Resisting God’s will: We can resist God’s will because of our free will. Do you always will God’s will in your life?
Do we will God’s will?
1)A vignette of nos: What would have happened if Noah would have said“no”? What would have happened if Abraham would have said “no”? What would have happened if Moses had told God “no”? What woud have happened if David said“no”? What would have happened if Jesus said “no”? If the apostles said “no”? What about if you say “no”?
2) A future and a hope: Consider Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (NIV). How can we ever reach that future with a hope with being obedient to God’s will?
3)Powerlessness of the flesh: Without the power and guidance of God’s Spirit we wll operate under the power of the flesh and fail!
“If we are not careful we may find ourselves in a situation like that in the story of some “bush missionaries.” They camped for several days near a monkey colony. When they returned to the camp one day, they saw the monkeys scurrying about, appearing to imitate the missionaries. In the center of the camp the monkeys had gathered firewood into a pile and were sitting around it as though warming themselves. Their only problem? They lacked fire! The church can be like that: we can have firewood but no fire!” (T. T. Crabtree. Ed. The Zondervan 2001 Pastor’s Annual. W. T. Holland. “The Spirit For Renewal”. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 2000, p. 248). People can also be like that.
"A Dream for God"
Many years ago a young man had a dream of telling the story of Jesus everywhere in the world. When he suggested taking that good news to people, an older man said, "Sit down, young man. If God wants to save the heathen, he will do it without your help or mine."
This young man, William Carey, was a cobbler. As he worked day after day making shoes, he thought about this exciting dream of his. He preached a sermon, "Attempt Great Things for God; Expect Great Things from God."
Because he believed this with all his heart, he left his own country, England, and went to India. There he spent the rest of his life teaching and preaching about Jesus who said, "Go into all the world and tell the good news."
It was several yeas before even one person accepted this message. But one, then another, and then many believed the good news of Jesus, until thousands upon thousands came to know Jesus because a young man with a dream opened a door.
https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/68364/a-dream-for-god-by-bill-butsko [--The Ministers Manual 1986]
Until we allow God to will and to work in us and through us for His good purposes (Philippians 2:13) in our worship, we will be restless and powerless.
William Cary’s future with a hope involved following God’s will to accomplish not only things in his future but it gave others a future and a hopes as well. It is said that he translated the Bible in 24 Indian languages.
If William Cary had not presented his body in a way that was holy and acceptable to answer God’s call on his life, as a missionary, then there would be many who would have never known the Gospel of Jesus Christ. You can never be transformed by default.
How can God get you to the future He has for you if we will not let Him transform us?
