LIVING SACRIFICE

Romans 12:

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.

ROMANS 12:1-2

GRATEFULNESS

THEREFORE I URGE YOU – BASED ON THE FIRST 11 CHAPTERS ITS NOW TIME TO ACT

PAUL HAS WALKED THROUGH ALL THAT GOD HAS DONE FOR US THROUGH HIS SON JESUS CHRIST

HE ENDS CHAPTER 11 PRAISING GOD:

32 FOR GOD HAS SHUT UP ALL IN DISOBEDIENCE SO THAT HE MAY SHOW MERCY TO ALL. 33 OH, THE DEPTH OF THE RICHES BOTH OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD! HOW UNSEARCHABLE ARE HIS JUDGMENTS AND UNFATHOMABLE HIS WAYS! 34 FOR WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, OR WHO BECAME HIS COUNSELOR? 35 OR WHO HAS FIRST GIVEN TO HIM THAT IT MIGHT BE PAID BACK TO HIM AGAIN? 36 FOR FROM HIM AND THROUGH HIM AND TO HIM ARE ALL THINGS. TO HIM BE THE GLORY FOREVER. AMEN.

PAUL SAYS FOR ALL GOD IS AND WHAT HE’S DONE FOR US WE SHOULD OUT OF GRATEFULNESS CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING…

NOT OUT OF DUTY, NOT FOR SOME REWARD (WE ARE ALREADY FORGIVEN), BUT RATHER OUT OF GRATEFULNESS FOR THE MERCY GOD HAS GIVEN US WE SHOULD…

LIVING SACRIFICE

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO PRESENT YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING AND HOLY SACRIFICE?

• BODY –CONTROL OF OUR BODY
• LIVING – VISIBLE, LIVED-OUT PHYSICAL ACTIONS, OUR DAILY LIFESTYLE
• HOLY – ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS (NOT SIN)
• SO OUR EYES, OUR HANDS, OUR FEET, OUR MOUTH, OUR WHOLE BODY IS COMMITTED TO LIVING IN SACRIFICIAL RIGHTEOUSNESS.
• DO NOT BE CONFORMED TO THE WORLD
• WORLDLY DESIRES – ANYTHING WE PLACE OR PRIORITIZE ABOVE GOD

HERE’S WHERE THIS COULD LEAD TO DESCRIBED IN ROMANS 1:

• Worship and serve the creation rather than the
  Creator
• Gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent,
  arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil
• Homosexuality
• Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice
• Exchange the truth of God for a lie
• Disobedient to parents
• No longer acknowledge God
• Without understanding
• Depraved minds
• Untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful
• Filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness,
  greed, and evil
• Give hearty approval to those who practice them

RENEWING OF YOUR MIND

WE RENEW OUR MIND BY CHANGING WHAT WE FOCUS OUR MINDS ON – WE
FOCUS ON THE WILL OF GOD

PAUL TELLS US IN PHIL 4:8:

8 FINALLY, BRETHREN, WHATEVER IS TRUE, WHATEVER IS HONORABLE, WHATEVER IS
RIGHT, WHATEVER IS PURE, WHATEVER IS LOVELY, WHATEVER IS OF GOOD REPUTE, IF
THERE IS ANY EXCELLENCE AND IF ANYTHING WORTHY OF PRAISE, DWELL ON THESE
THINGS.

3 FOR THROUGH THE GRACE GIVEN TO ME I SAY TO EVERYONE AMONG YOU NOT
TO THINK MORE HIGHLY OF HIMSELF THAN HE OUGHT TO THINK; BUT TO THINK
SO AS TO HAVE SOUND JUDGMENT, AS GOD HAS ALLOTTED TO EACH A MEASURE
OF FAITH. 4 FOR JUST AS WE HAVE MANY MEMBERS IN ONE BODY AND ALL THE
MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE THE SAME FUNCTION, 5 SO WE, WHO ARE MANY, ARE ONE
BODY IN CHRIST, AND INDIVIDUALLY MEMBERS ONE OF ANOTHER. 6 SINCE WE
HAVE GIFTS THAT DIFFER ACCORDING TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO US, EACH OF US IS
TO EXERCISE THEM ACCORDINGLY: IF PROPHECY, ACCORDING TO THE
PROPORTION OF HIS FAITH; 7 IF SERVICE, IN HIS SERVING; OR HE WHO TEACHES, IN
HIS TEACHING; 8 OR HE WHO EXHORTS, IN HIS EXHORTATION; HE WHO GIVES,
WITH LIBERALITY; HE WHO LEADS, WITH DILIGENCE; HE WHO SHOWS MERCY,
WITH CHEERFULNESS.

ROMANS 12:3-8

• USE YOUR GIFTS FOR OTHERS
• BE HUMBLE – DON’T THINK TOO HIGHLY OF YOURSELF
• USE YOUR GIFTINGS FOR OTHERS – BUILDING UP THE BODY
• PROPHECY
• SERVICE
• TEACHER
• EXHORTATION
• LEADERSHIP/ADMINISTRATION
• MERCY

9 LET LOVE BE WITHOUT HYPOCRISY. ABHOR WHAT IS EVIL; CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD. 10 BE DEVOTED TO ONE ANOTHER IN BROTHERLY LOVE; GIVE PREFERENCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN HONOR; 11 NOT LAGGING BEHIND IN DILIGENCE, FERVENT IN SPIRIT, SERVING THE LORD; 12 REJOICING IN HOPE, PERSEVERING IN TRIBULATION,
DEVOTED TO PRAYER, 13 CONTRIBUTING TO THE NEEDS OF THE SAINTS, PRACTICING HOSPITALITY.

ROMANS 12:9-13

• LOVE WITH DILIGENCE
• LOVE SINCERELY – “WITHOUT HYPOCRISY”
• ABHOR EVIL – RUN AWAY FROM IT!

EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING TO RUN AWAY FROM:

64% OF SELF-IDENTIFIED CHRISTIAN MEN AND 15% OF SELF-IDENTIFIED CHRISTIAN WOMEN VIEW PORNOGRAPHY AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH (COMPARED TO 65% OF NON-CHRISTIAN MEN AND 30% OF
NON-CHRISTIAN WOMEN).

• CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD
• DEVOTE YOURSELF TO BROTHERLY LOVE
• GIVE PREFERENCE TO ONE ANOTHER IN HONOR
• SERVE THE LORD DILIGENTLY
• REJOICE IN WHAT CHRIST HAS DONE FOR US
• PERSEVERE IN TRIBULATIONS/HARD TIMES – DON’T GIVE UP, TRUST GOD
• BE DEVOTED TO PRAYER
• HELP MEET THE NEEDS OF FELLOW BELIEVERS
• PRACTICE HOSPITALITY

14 BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU; BLESS AND DO NOT CURSE. 15 REJOICE WITH
THOSE WHO REJOICE, AND WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP. 16 BE OF THE SAME MIND
TOWARD ONE ANOTHER; DO NOT BE HAUGHTY IN MIND, BUT ASSOCIATE WITH THE
LOWLY. DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN ESTIMATION. 17 NEVER PAY BACK EVIL FOR EVIL
TO ANYONE. RESPECT WHAT IS RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF ALL MEN. 18 IF POSSIBLE, SO FAR
AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU, BE AT PEACE WITH ALL MEN. 19 NEVER TAKE YOUR OWN
REVENGE, BELOVED, BUT LEAVE ROOM FOR THE WRATH OF GOD, FOR IT IS WRITTEN,
“VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY,” SAYS THE LORD. 20 “BUT IF YOUR ENEMY IS
HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN SO DOING YOU
WILL HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD.” 21 DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT
OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD.

ROMANS 12:14-21

• BLESS THOSE WHO PERSECUTE YOU
• BLESS AND DO NOT CURSE
• REJOICE WITH THOSE WHO REJOICE
• WEEP WITH THOSE WHO WEEP
• DO NOT BE WISE IN YOUR OWN ESTIMATION
• NEVER PAYBACK EVIL FOR EVIL TO ANYONE
• RESPECT WHAT IS RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF ALL MEN
• IF POSSIBLE, SO FAR AS IT DEPENDS ON YOU, BE AT PEACE WITH ALL MEN
• NEVER TAKE YOUR OWN REVENGE

“IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, FEED HIM, AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM A DRINK; FOR IN DOING SO YOU WILL
HEAP BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD”

WATCHMAN NEE, A CHINESE EVANGELIST, TELLS OF A CHRISTIAN HE ONCE KNEW IN CHINA. HE WAS A RICE FARMER, AND HIS FIELDS LAY HIGH ON A MOUNTAIN. EVERY DAY HE PUMPED WATER INTO THE PADDIES OF NEW RICE. AND EVERY MORNING HE RETURNED TO FIND THAT AN UNBELIEVING NEIGHBOR WHO LIVED
DOWN THE HILL HAD OPENED THE DIKES SURROUNDING THE CHRISTIAN’S FIELDTO LET THE WATER FILL HIS OWN PADDIES. FOR A WHILE THE CHRISTIAN IGNORED THE INJUSTICE, BUT AT LAST HE BECAME DESPERATE. WHAT SHOULD HE DO? HIS OWN RICE WOULD DIE IF THIS CONTINUED. HOW LONG COULD IT GO ON? THE CHRISTIANS MET, PRAYED, AND CAME UP WITH THIS SOLUTION. THE NEXT DAY THE CHRISTIAN FARMER ROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING AND FIRST FILLED HIS NEIGHBOR’S FIELDS; THEN HE ATTENDED TO HIS OWN. WATCHMAN NEE TELLS HOW THE NEIGHBOR BECAME A CHRISTIAN, HIS UNBELIEF OVERCOME BY A GENUINE DEMONSTRATION OF A CHRISTIAN’S LOVE FOR OTHERS. DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL WITH GOOD
ROMANS 12:21