A living and Holy Sacrifice Part Two. Romans 12:1-2 Part Four

Transcription

1 A living and Holy Sacrifice Part Two Romans 12:1-2 Part Four

2 Romans 12:1-2 1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

3 The therefore at the beginning of the passage is referring back to everything that Paul had talked about in the first eleven chapters. In those chapters, Paul describes, in great detail, the amazing mercies of God that provide salvation for all who, by faith, confess Jesus as their Lord.

4 Parakaléō means to come alongside of someone and encourage them to move in the right direction. Paul urges us, because of the mercy God has shown us, to present our bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God.

5 A true sacrifice has to start in the heart. If the heart isn t right, then anything we do, even if it s done in the name of God, is useless. Presenting ourselves to God as living sacrifices is the only reasonable (or logical) response to what God has done for us.

6 Romans 12:1 paraphrased: In light of everything I just told you about God s great mercy, I encourage you to give yourselves completely to God. Offer yourself to Him as a living and holy sacrifice. That s what He desires from you and it s the only logical response to what He has done for you.

7 Romans 12:1 paraphrased: In light of everything I just told you about God s great mercy, I encourage you to give yourselves completely to God. Offer yourself to Him as a living and holy sacrifice. That s what He desires from you and it s the only logical response for what He has done for you.

8 Romans 12:1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. Paristēmi carries with it the idea of placing a person or thing completely at another s disposal.

9 In the Septuagint, paristēmi was often used to refer to the act of placing a sacrifice on an altar. The Greeks considered the spirit, or soul, to be inherently good and the body to be inherently evil. And, because the body was deemed worthless and would eventually die anyway, what was done to it or with it didn t really matter.

10 The 1 st century church, just like the 21 st century church, had to fight to avoid becoming conformed to the culture around them. The Book of Genesis clearly tells us that God created the body as good. And, even though it is corrupted by sin, we don t have to let sin reign in our bodies.

11 Romans 6: Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,

12 13 and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

13 1 Corinthians 9: Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.

14 26 Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; 27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. Being a living sacrifice doesn t just happen, it takes hard work and discipline.

15 1 Timothy 4:7-8 7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.

16 Philippians 3: Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.

17 13 Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

18 Philippians 3: I don't mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection! But I keep working toward that day when I will finally be all that Christ Jesus saved me for and wants me to be.

19 13 No, dear brothers and sisters, I am still not all I should be, but I am focusing all my energies on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, 14 I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us up to heaven. (NLT)

20 Paul says, I keep working, I am focusing all my energies, I strain. He s clearly saying that it takes hard work and spiritual discipline for us to be conformed into the image of Christ.

21 We re told to Fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12), Suffer hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 2:3), and Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the schemes of the devil (Ephesians 6:11).

22 Keswick theology is part of the secondblessing theology. It teaches that there are two distinct blessings in the life of believers. The first blessing is getting saved. The second blessing (or work of faith) is getting serious about your faith and surrendering completely to God.

23 Keswick theology offers a greater measure of deliverance from sin than Scripture anywhere promises or the apostles themselves ever attained. This cannot but lead either to self-deception, in the case of those who profess to have entered into this blessing, or to disillusionment and despair, in the case of those who seek it but fail to find it. J.I. Packer

24 There are no shortcuts to living biblical lives. A life of holiness takes discipline, hard work, focus, and intentionality. So, we have to be willing to continually commit to those disciplines that will help us stay focused on God and grow in Christ.

25 When thinking about being a living sacrifice, think about daily presenting yourself to God by doing those things that God calls you to do in His Word. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness;

26 Too many believers are simply trying hard to live a victorious Christian life. Don t try, train. The alternative to discipline is disaster. Vance Havner The answer isn t, Let go and let God. It isn t just trying harder.

27 Some vital spiritual disciplines: Bible Intake Prayer Worship Evangelism Serving Stewardship Fasting

28 Tom Landry, coach of the Dallas Cowboys football team for most of three decades, said, The job of a football coach is to make men do what they don t want to do in order to achieve what they ve always wanted to be.

29 In much the same way, Christians are called to make themselves do something they would not naturally do-pursue the Spiritual Disciplines-in order to become what they ve always wanted to be, that is, like Jesus Christ. Discipline yourself, says the Scripture, for the purpose of godliness. Don Whitney

30 Being a living Sacrifice isn t just a matter of saying, OK, God I surrender completely, now it s all up You. It isn t about just trying harder and harder. It s about discipline and training for the purpose of godliness.

31 Two questions to ask: Do I really want to be a living sacrifice? Am I willing to do what it takes to be one?