Change - Romans 12: 1-8
Intro: I assume that you are intrigued as to why you were given a teabag this morning as you entered worship. You will not be given a cup of hot water to go with it. Teatime is not until 4pm. Hopefully, by the end of my message you will understand.
I VS. 1 “Therefore, I urge you, sisters and brothers, 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.”
A “True and proper worship” is a translation of two words in Greek. The first word is logikos / ??????? which can be translated as rational, reasonable, of the word.
B The second Greek word is latreia / ?at?e?a which can be translated as a ministration of God / worship / or divine service.
C When these two words are used together, they offer an insight into what Paul believes our lives should be like. In the NIV translation we have “true and proper worship.” What does this mean? These words used in the Greek imply that being a Christian involves service to which a person gives their whole life. Paul encourages the Christians in the Roman Church to understand that REAL worship involves offering our everyday lives to God.
II How do we do that? Paul provides the answer for us in the very next verse. VS.2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world; but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
A The Greek word used here for “conform” is suschematizo / s?s??µat???, meaning to fashion oneself according to the world or to conform to the same pattern as others in the world.
B Perhaps as a young person you asked your parents for something and justified wanting it because “everyone else has one.” My mother would respond with “If everyone else jumped off a bridge, would you do the same?”
C Paul uses a Greek word here that most people today cannot accept. I’m sure the people at the time of Paul had the same feeling about the word metamorphoo / µetaµ??f? which can be translated as transform / transfigure / change. That is the word over which many people stumble. CHANGE.
III How do we “change?” What does it involve and where do we start? Paul also says the way in which we change is to renew our minds.
A I believe what Paul says to the church in Rome is what His message is to us today. We must begin by changing the way we think. For many people that is not an easy thing to do. It requires us to change the way we think about people and situations.
B It doesn’t stop there. Paul continues to talk about spiritual gifts. He lays out these things in VS.6 by saying that we must not just think about our abilities. We need to use them to the glory of God.
C If we are a part of the body of Christ, we need to do our part to keep that “body” alive. We cannot continue to exist as the body of Christ if we continue to be a “Word Sponge.”
Concl: I want you to focus on the teabag you received this morning. What can you with it? I guess you could continue to look at it each day as a reminder that like the teabag, you have abilities. --- Unless you put that teabag into hot water it is useless. You won’t have tea to drink unless it is transformed, changed by being put in hot water and being squeezed. Your talent and abilities are the same. I have often been told that if you don’t use it you will loose it. The same is true of a church, the body of Christ. We won’t have a church unless we are willing to change and make a difference in our community by sharing our gifts and abilities. Ask yourself, “What am I willing to change so that others may learn of Christ Jesus?” Actually, that is why we are here, isn’t it?
