“It’s Time For A Change!”
Romans 12:1-2
Life is full of CHANGES! HAS your life CHANGED in last YEAR … 5 Yr. … 10 … 20? IF IT HASN’T … then must have been living on a deserted island somewhere!
There are 2 BASIC KINDS of “change” … INTERNAL & EXTERNAL.
We usually LIKE … EXTERNAL change:
· Going to Mountains to see the leaves CHANGE.
· When life gets hectic, enjoying a “change of pace”.
· “Change” our SOCKS once a month!
BUT … when comes to INTERNAL change it’s a different story. We tend to RESIST CHANGE.
WHEN SAVED … we were CHANGED … INSTANTLY. We were Born-Again … we became a New Creature … we changed from a sinner bound for an eternity in Hell – TO – a “Child of God”.
BUT … this was just to be just the BEGINNING of “change”. We soon found out that our “flesh” was still present. We found out that there was a constant BATTLE going on between “flesh” & “spirit”.
Mt. 26:41 – “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
We are constantly in the NEED of a “change”. Romans 12:1-2 points out that “change” that needs to be made … AFTER … salvation. You can call it “surrender” … “commitment” … “sanctification” … “dedication” …
Romans 12:1-2 – all turn - READ
“beseech” – literally, ‘beg’ … “Please, please, please …” It’s NOT a COMMAND … you CAN’T be COERCED into this … it’s your CHOICE. BUT … it’s so IMPORTANT … THAT … Paul “begs” you to go after the NEXT LEVEL of Christianity.
No one can MAKE you live for Christ … “surrender” . You have to decide for yourself … IF … you want to get along the best you can … on own … OR … be VICTORIOUS in your Christian life.
BUT … NOTICE … TO WHOM the appeal is made … “brethren” … ALL Christians. EVERY CHRISTIAN has to DECIDE … to LIVE for Christ … OR … just “live” … AND … let Satan beat us up!
WHAT ARE WE TO SURRENDER TO GOD?
1.- OUR BODIES – “present your bodies …” – 12:1
“bodies” – NOT JUST our flesh and blood … LIKE … in O.T. times. BUT … everything we are … attitudes … will … desires … all that we are … think … do.
In O.T. TIMES … a bull, goat, sheep, dove were offered for sacrifice. It wasn’t a “living” sacrifice … they didn’t offer a “live” animal to be burnt on altar … that would be CRUEL … they KILLED it first.
The O.T. sacrificial animal gave his ALL … very LIFE.
God did away w/ animal sacrifices … WHEN … Jesus died on cross as the ULTIMATE sacrifice for our sins. BUT … NOW … God wants a LIVING, BREATHING sacrificial body to work through. He’ll accept a young, energetic body … OR … an old, worn-out body. He just wants your “body” to be presented to Him.
Paul says this is only “reasonable” … ‘logikos’ … “logical” … i.e. … “It’s only logical … it’s only right … it makes sense!” WHY? It’s LOGICAL … BECAUSE … Jesus sacrificed His body for YOU!
· Since He DIED for me … it’s only REASONABLE … that I LIVE for Him.
· Since He GAVE UP so much for me … it’s only REASONABLE … that I GIVE UP MYSELF for Him.
· Since He wore the “Crown of Thorns” for me … it’s only REASONABLE … that I crown Him “King” of my life.
It’s only REASONABLE … AMEN?
“present” – a willing SURRENDER … NOT … like a command to a slave.
This is a “once-and-for-all” sacrifice … BUT … w/ CONTINUING RESULTS … living it out every day.
· LIKE … Jesus on the cross … “once-and-for-all” … BUT … with CONTINUING RESULTS … we are to live it out every day.
· LIKE … MARRIAGE … “once-and-for-all” … our marriage vows … “till death do you part” … BUT … with CONTINUING RESULTS … we are living it out every day. Our wedding Day was just the beginning.
· LIKE … ENLISTING in the Army … “present body” … a 1- time event … YET … with CONTINUED RESULTS … we lived it out every day.
· LIKE … SALVATION … “once-and-for-all” … BUT … we are to CONTINUE growing more & more as a Christian … with CONTINUING RESULTS. SALVATION was just the BEGINNING … BUT … are to live it out every day.
THE PROBLEM: Some Christians haven’t left the “Starting Gate” … still at the BEGINNING! Jesus told us "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” (Lk. 9:23) We are to present our bodies as a LIVING SACRIFICE.
We did it BEFORE … WHEN … we were LOST … Romans 6:19, 13. But now, we’ve been redeemed … ransomed … BLOOD-BOUGHT. We’re GOD’S CHILD now … we belong to HIM. 1 Cor. 6:20 – “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
It’s only “reasonable” that we present our bodies to Him … AMEN?
Paul also gives us a very GOOD REASON for this sacrifice … “by the mercies of God”. LOOK at how “merciful” God has been to you! “Mercy” is not getting what you DESERVE.
· It’s by His “mercy” that you’re on TOP of the ground … AND … NOT under it!
· It’s by His “mercy” that God SAVED you.
· It’s by His “mercy” that you live in America … not homeless … job … decent retirement …
Lam. 3:22 – “Through the LORD’S mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.”
You were SAVED by His “grace”. WHILE … “mercy” is ‘not getting what you do deserve’ … “grace” is … ‘getting what you don’t deserve’. BECAUSE of His “mercy” to you … God deserves NO LESS THAN the SURRENDER of your bodies to Him.
HOW WILL GOD VIEW YOUR SACRIFICE? “holy” - NOW … ISN’T that “mercy”?
It DOESN’T MEAN that you have to be “holy” … BEFORE … you can “present your bodies a living sacrifice”. IF you waited until you were “holy” enough … you would never do it. BUT … God will ACCEPT your sacrifice … as “holy”. You don’t take a BATH … BEFORE … to get clean enough to take a SHOWER … DO YOU? NO! … You just climb into the SHOWER … dirt & all!
WHEN you … in your “unholy” condition … “present” yourself to God … it will be “acceptable to God”.
You don’t have to “clean yourself up first” … LIKE … the Prodigal Son. JUST … come to Him.
ONCE we have offered ourselves to God … our lives should look different.
NOW … Paul goes from a REQUEST (“beseech”) … to a COMMAND … 12:2
WHAT ARE WE TO SURRENDER TO GOD?
1.- Our Bodies
2.- OUR MIND – 12:2
· 12:1 is a DECISIVE COMMITMENT.
· 12:2 shows us HOW to MAINTAIN that commitment.
“conformed to this world” – i.e. … don’t allow the world to shape you into it’s mold. We are to be SEPARATE from the world. 2 Cor. 6:17 – “Therefore "Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, And I will receive you." 1 John 2:15 – “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”
IN OTHER WORDS … DON’T be a “conformist” … a chameleon …. INSTEAD of being a “conformer” … he says to be a “transformer” … “be transformed”. “transformed” – ‘metamorphoo’ = “metamorphosis”. INSTEAD of being like a LIZARD (chameleon) … are to be like a CATERPILLAR that changes into a beautiful BUTTERFLY!
We are to be a “transformer” … LIKE … on the pole in front of your house … it relays electrical POWER. We have LIMITLESS RESOURCES to draw from … the Holy Spirit. We can plug a toaster, microwave, table saw, heater, etc. into this source of power. We can keep “plugging in” to the POWER of Holy Spirit. EVER have a “transformer” blow? POW! WHAT HAPPENS? You lose POWER. We are to be “transformed” … always hooked up to … AND … relying on POWER of Holy Spirit … Who NEVER FAILS!
NOW … Paul tells us HOW we can be “transformed” … “by the renewing of your mind”. The BATTLE-GROUND for your Christian life takes place in your MIND.
“transformed” = “metamorphosis” … LIKE a cocoon … ‘a change on the OUTSIDE that takes place on the INSIDE.’
There should be an ON-GOING “transformation” taking place in our lives. AND … it begins in our “minds”. Col. 3:2 – “Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.” Phil. 4:8 – “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Jesus wants our MIND to be “transformed” … SURRENDERED to Him.
WHAT ARE WE TO SURRENDER TO GOD?
1.- Our Bodies
2.-Our Minds
3.- OUR WILL – 12:2b
Remember BOOT CAMP? WHAT was the PURPOSE? To EMPTY yourself of the civilian way of thinking … AND … to FILL YOU UP w/ the military way of thinking. The PURPOSE was to CHANGE … YOUR WILL … TO … THEIR WILL … to “surrender your will” … AM I RIGHT?
Rom. 12:2 – NLT – “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
WHEN you “surrender to Jesus” … you will PRAY like Jesus … “not My will but Thy will be done.” You will want GOD’S WILL for your life … NOT … “conformed” to the WILL of the WORLD. AND … WHEN you SURRENDER to God’s will … you will not only have “will power” … BUT … “won’t power”. i.e. … you WON’T want to lie … gossip … cheat … steal … keep your mind in gutter … swear … act like WORLD. You will have “won’t power” … WHEN … you surrender to God’s “will power”.
GOD’S WILL … has 3 CHARACTERISTICS:
· “good” – NOT JUST “good” … BUT … “best”. God always wants what’s BEST for you … the TROUBLE IS … we don’t always AGREE w/ what “best” means! We would rather have what’s … EASIER … what makes us FEEL GOOD … what makes us HAPPY.
· “acceptable” – God’s will is the ONLY THING that’s “acceptable” to Him. Many translations translate this word as “pleasing”. The ONLY WAY you can “please” God … IS … to live in His WILL.
· “perfect” – God’s will is “perfect”. CAN you say that about everything in your life NOW? We live in an “imperfect” world … BUT … living in God’s WILL is “perfect” for you!
CONCLUSION:
God calls us to make a “total surrender” … of our BODIES … our MIND … our WILL … to Him. A “partial surrender” is a DANGEROUS THING.
WHEN a SKY DIVER jumps out of a plane … DOES HE pull out his parachute cord HALF-WAY … OR … does he make a TOTAL COMMITMENT?
WHEN a PILOT takes off … WHAT would happen … IF … at the end of the runway he doesn’t make a TOTAL COMMITMENT to bring the plane off the ground?
WHEN you stand before the preacher and say your MARRIAGE VOWS … How long would your MARRIAGE last … IF … you were only HALF-COMMITTED to you spouse?
God tells us to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice”.
“sacrifices” are made for a FIRE.
· MAYBE … there’s something you need to put on the altar of sacrifice this AM.
· MAYBE … there’s something that you need to lay on the altar … to present to God … to surrender to Him … to commit to Him.
Paul tells us HOW to do it … “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”.
MAYBE … it’s “Time For A Change”.
Is there a “change” that needs to be made in your life?
· FROM … a caterpillar Christian … TO … a butterfly Christian?
· FROM … a NOMINAL Christian … TO … a VICTORIOUS Christian?
· FROM … a life of the miserable “prodigal” son … TO … a life enjoying your relationship w/ your Heavenly Father?
· FROM … struggling … failing … living in guilt & same … TO … living a life in God’s will.
MAYBE … it’s “Time For A Change”!
IF … you want to experience all that God has for you … “present your bodies a living sacrifice”. THEN … “you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God”.
I “beseech” you … I BEG you … Won’t you do it … TODAY!
