Sermon Tone Analysis

Romans 12:1-8

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephen Caswell © 2004

Masters Or Servants?

Some people love to keep cats as pets and others keep dogs, a few keep both.

People feel very strongly about their own preference.

A friend of mine said that */Cats have Servants/*, while */Dogs have Masters./*

/Some Christians think that they should be served and behave like masters.

Others consider themselves as servants and seek to help others./

*D.L. Moody* said; */the measure of a man is not how many servants he has, but how many men he serves./*

/Today, I want to address the question, what is spiritual service?/  *Romans 12:1-8 *answers this question.

*/Firstly,/* Paul says */Service/* requires */Dedication, 100% commitment to Christ.

Secondly,/* he says */Service requires Demonstration, not just talk.

Finally,/* he talks about the great*/ Diversity Of Service.

/*

 

/Firstly  /   Dedication To Service

/ /

/a.

Present Our Bodies /

/ /

*Romans 12:1:*/ I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

/

/ /

The word */therefore/* links God's mercy with our service for Him.

In the first 11 chapters of Romans Paul records all that God has done for us.*

/In mercy He forgave us our sins, in grace He gave us eternal life.

He has given us the Holy Spirit for life and service.

He has reserved an inheritance for us in heaven.

On top of this He is always with us.

He helps us every day and always listens to our prayers./*

/In response to this shouldn't we give our bodies as living sacrifices?/ /Surely this is the least we can do.

This is reasonable service, isn't it?/

Any thing less would be ingratitude.

*/If Jesus was a living sacrifice, shouldn't we be living sacrifices too/?

*

/ /

/But,/ /why does Paul beseech us when he could command us to be living sacrifices?

/Because he appeals to a greater motivation, /love./

*/For people in love service is a delight not a duty./*

*2 Corinthians 5:14-15:* /For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again./

*C.

T. Studd* said, */If Jesus Christ be God and died for me, then no sacrifice that I make can for Him could be too great./*

Unfortunately, we, tend to divide our lives into */sacred/* and */secular./*

God wants all of us lock, stock and barrel; not just 10% of our money.

*/Paul says present your bodies to God!/* /This is total dedication since we don’t do anything without our bodies./

God wants us to live for Him at work, at home, at play and in our community.

He wants us to use our homes to minister to our lost neighbors and friends.

/Jesus gave 100% of Himself to save us./

/To do this requires a different attitude.

*To be living sacrifices we need the mind of Christ, who came to serve not be served.*/

/b.

Present Our Minds/

/ /

*Romans 12:2: */And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

/

*Philippians 2:5-7:*/ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

/Jesus Christ, the Son of God chose to be a Living Sacrifice.

/ /

Illustration of a Caterpillar that Becomes a Butterfly

 

When we were kids we liked to collect caterpillars and keep them in a box.

We would feed them a certain kind of leaves each day and watch them grow.

They grew bigger and bigger then they spun a cocoon.

It took them hours to make it.

Then we waited until just the right time.

Then, our caterpillars emerged from their cocoons, but they were different.

They had changed into beautiful butterflies.

/After our caterpillars fed on the right food they were transformed from within./

/ /

/To be living sacrifices we must first renew our minds./

The word */transform,/* *metamorfow,* means */to change, to transfigure/*/./

/It means to change something from the inside out./

This word was used of Jesus Christ at the transfiguration.

He revealed to Peter, James and John the glory He had within.

Our English word */metamorphosis/* comes from this word.

/The world wants to change our mind, so it exerts pressure from without.

But the Holy Spirit can transform our minds by releasing power within as we meditate on God's Word./ */The Spirit of God and the Word of God work together to transform us into the image of the Son of God./*

 

*Col 3:16-17 *links the close relationship between our minds and bodies: /Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

*And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,* giving thanks to God the Father through Him./

 

/c.

Present Our Will/

/ /

*Romans 12:2: */that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God./

/ /

*/Your mind controls your body, and your will controls your mind./*

Many people think they can control their will by */willpower,/* but usually they fail.

This was Paul’s experience.

He recorded this struggle in *Romans 7:15–21.*

*/It's only when we yield our will to God that His power can take over and give us the willpower and the won’t power to be victorious Christians./* /As we spend time in prayer, we surrender our will to God and pray, with the Lord, Not my will, but Thy will be done./

We must pray about everything, and let God have His way in everything.

Florence Nightingale At 30

 

Florence Nightingale in her diary, I am now 30 years old, the age at which Christ began His mission.

Now, no more childish things, no more vain things.

/Now, Lord, let me think only of Thy will./

Years later, near the end of her illustrious, heroic life she was asked for her life’s secret, and she replied, Well, I can only give one explanation.

/That is, I have kept nothing back from God./

 

*/A practical way to do this is to surrender our bodies to the Lord each new day./*

Then to read God’s Word and allow it to transform our minds.

*/We should pray, and yield the plans of the day to Him and let Him work as He sees best./*

/What are the benefits?/

*/Firstly,/* God’s will is */good, /**ἀγαθός**/./*

It is beneficial for us.

*/Secondly,/* God’s will is */acceptable,/* *εὐάρεστος**,* or */well pleasing/*.

God’s will is pleasing to us.

*/Finally,/* God’s will is */perfect,/* *τέλειος**;* */it’s complete, it lacks nothing.

/*God’s will is all we need.*/

/*/Do you want second best for your life or first best?/

Application

/ /

Spiritual service to God requires surrender.

The most miserable people on earth are Christians living for themselves.

Jesus said it is more blessed to give than to receive.

Only when we present ourselves as living sacrifices can we have meaning in our lives.

/Do you want what is best for your life?

*Then* *dedicate your life to the glory of God.