Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect
will. For by the grace given me, I say to every one of you, do not think of yourself more highly
than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment in accordance with the measure of
faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not
all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to
all the others. We have different gifts according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying,
let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve. If it is teaching,
let him teach. If it is encouraging, let him encourage. If it is contributing to the needs of
others, let him give generously. If it is leadership, let him govern diligently. If it is showing mercy,
let him do it cheerfully. This is the word of the Lord.
Thank you, Lord.
Lord Jesus, we thank you that you have come amongst us as a man, the creator God of the universe,
and we thank you that you have laid down your life for our sins, and we thank you that in power your
Father has raised you to life, never to die again. And we pray, Lord, that as we come to your word now,
that we would sit under your lordship, that we would marvel at who you are, that we would be in
submission to you, and that each one of us, Lord, that you would be leading us in your truth and
growing us in Christ from the place where we are. Meet us in your word now, speak to us powerfully by
your spirit, and we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Some of you will have seen Peter Jensen, our Archbishop on Q&A on the ABC last Monday night. You can see it
online if you missed it. He engaged in a very difficult debate with one woman in particular who
unashamedly declared herself atheist. And it was an intimidating struggle between outspoken unbelief and
unapologetic faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it wasn't merely a battle of intellect and reason, it was a
spiritual battle that required considerable grace and wisdom in seeking a hearing on issues where people were
not eager to listen. Sam preached on Romans 1 a few weeks ago, and he showed us that when we reject God, we choose a
miserable path which is deathly. So Romans chapter 128 says,
furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a
depraved mind to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed,
and depravity. They're full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters,
insolent, arrogant, boastful. And they invent ways of doing evil. They disobey their parents. They're senseless,
faithless, heartless, heartless, ruthless. And although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such
things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things, but also to approve of those who
practice them. And it defies reason. People will choose death over life. And in this bizarre manifestation of
evil, that people actually get comfort of taking other people to death with them.
We've had a great time in Romans. It explains God's gospel in the most magnificent way, and it's God's
response to our deathly situation. The first eight chapters address many issues, God's anger with people,
with men and women, why his judgment is just, why trying to keep the Ten Commandments and the rest of
the Old Testament law can't make us good enough for God. It tells us why faith pleases God and how true
peace and joy come through faith in Jesus Christ. Helps us to make sense of our ongoing struggle with sin.
And then in chapter 8, verse 1, this magnificent expression of God's mercy, that there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. And at the end of chapter 8, verse 39, that nothing,
nothing at all in the entire universe is able to separate us from the love of Christ Jesus.
And so in Christ, we have received extraordinary mercy from God.
Chapters 9 to 11, they're a bit different, they're really substantial, but they're like an excursus or an
excursion into the place of the Jews in God's plan of salvation. But chapter 12 brings us to where I'm
preaching today and it begins with these words. And I'm not going to get past these two verses.
Therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the
pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, and then you will be able to
test and approve what God's will is, his good, pleasing and perfect will. I heard the great
British Bible teacher, John Stott, preach on this passage. In my early days of being a believer,
he spoke to an Easter service at the University of New South Wales just before the Billy Graham
crusade in 1979. And he explained that the therefore is a terribly important little word,
it's a turning point in the letter, it is a hinge. Everything that's gone before in Romans links now to
what follows. It's where the rubber hits the road. We move from theory to practice, from what the good
news is to how the good news transforms the lives of people who believe the gospel.
God's action brings transformation. And so he says,
therefore I urge you, brethren, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices,
holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual act of worship. That's the NIV.
God's disposition towards us, God's disposition towards people is one of mercy. And it's a particular
type of mercy, it's gut-wrenching pity and compassion. God knows the predicament that we're in,
he knows our predicament better than we see it for ourselves and he responds to it with his gut-wrenching
pity and compassion. I actually think chapter 12 verse 1 picks up from Romans 8, 38, 39.
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present
nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything in all creation will be able
to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. So the first eight chapters
of Romans reach this crescendo in the unquenchable love of God which is shown to his people.
And it's the most amazing thing that God loves his creation and his heart goes out in pity
and compassion to his people. And then he says to us, in view of God's love, in view of God's mercy,
in view of God's compassion, offer yourselves, offer your bodies as living sacrifices.
Now the people he's writing to are very familiar with animal sacrifices. They wouldn't have been
shocked by some of the animal videos on our television when animals are slaughtered in Indonesia
and other places. Whether it was the temple in Jerusalem or the meat markets in Rome, animals
were slaughtered ritually and in the name of their God all the time. People saw animals killed,
they saw where their food came from. And people were also used to the idea of substitution,
an animal sacrificed in place of you. Not a bad deal. Not such a great life to be a sacrificial
animal. You don't choose to be a sacrifice. Someone chooses you. Your body is put on the line
for others. Your throat is cut and your body is burnt. The animal dies a death representative
of the death that we deserve. Romans chapter 5 and 8 speak about Jesus' death as a sacrifice.
In chapter 8 verse 3 it says,
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did
by sending his own son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.
And Romans 12 verse 1 tells us that the only appropriate response to what God has done
is to become a sacrifice. Fortunately for us it's a living sacrifice. It's a whole of life commitment.
I urge you brothers in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and
pleasing to God. This is your spiritual act of worship.
When I became a believer I was 18, about to turn 19.
And I was already attending church.
And within a few months of coming to Christ I joined a group that met in a friend's house.
two-bedroom cottage, fibro cottage.
Hardly a small group.
And we worked through Luke's gospel verse by verse for a year.
The groove was quite a contrast to church.
We had a loving pastor
dressed in black, just like Brian was this morning.
See Brian this morning?
Full collar, boy.
And
he smoked a pipe
He was known as Puffing Billy.
But he was absolutely committed to seeing people saved.
And at the same time he was very stern.
He was formal.
He was a pretty lousy preacher.
We had a sung robed choir.
Members walked in every Sunday night at 7.15
wearing their academic hoods.
We had boring sermons.
Chanted responses.
I liked going
but I grew
and was nurtured in the house church.
The leaders loved Jesus
and his word.
And they were
really careful to try to teach it truthfully.
and they worked hard at submitting
to what they were learning.
And so for me
in the same place
two very different
experiences of Christians
gathering to worship.
In the house church
we began to study
this passage in Romans.
This is year two.
Year one was Luke.
Year two was Romans.
Took us all year.
And we got to chapter 12
verse 1
Therefore I urge you brethren
in view of God's mercy
to offer your bodies
as living sacrifices
holy and pleasing to God
this is your spiritual act of worship.
And it was really difficult for me
because I had been taught
that worship was what you did on Sunday
and you might have been taught that too.
Some of our younger people
may well just think
that worship is singing
because it's used like that as well.
But this passage
that we are in this morning
talks about the whole of life
as worship.
Everything that we do
whether we're here in church
this morning
or outside somewhere
through the week
everything that we do
is a response
to who God is.
And I remember
going to the rector
to talk about it
because I was confused
and it threw it up for me
and he said to me
don't worry about it my boy
church on Sunday
is true worship.
All these other groups
well they're
then things
they're okay
but they're not true worship.
Church on Sunday
is where you need to be.
Well of course you need to be
at church on Sunday
it's a great place
to gather with God's people
and encourage one another.
And I've spent a lot of time
wrestling with that
over the years.
I gave you verbatim
of what he said.
I loved him
and he's with the Lord now
but I think he was wrong
and I think he was wrong
in two ways.
Both those gatherings
of Christ's church
were true
and valid expressions
of devotion
to Jesus.
One of them
was very formal
and the other
was very informal.
Both involved
believers
coming together
to encourage
each other
in Christ
and learn from his word
both involved
worship
or service.
And the second error
is to define
worship narrowly
as merely
coming to church
on Sunday.
and a group
or two
through the week.
Romans chapter 12
verse 1
says it is
a whole of life
commitment
a whole of life
response to Christ
a whole of life
response to the gospel.
And listen to the force
of these words
I urge you
I implore you
the great apostle
pushes his point
to the max
in view of God's mercy
in view of God's gospel
in view of Romans
chapter 1
to Romans chapter 11
in view of what God
has done
we must respond.
He has brought us
from death to life
if we have put
our faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ
he has forgiven
everything.
He's wiped away
sexual indiscretion
he's taken our lies
he's taken our
unfaithfulness
he's dealt with
our dishonest
dealings
he's working
on our hate
everything that
gets in the way
of us relating
to him
Christ has dealt
with at the cross
and you see
that this
mercy of God
is just enormous
and so in Christ
we have a new
beginning
this is God's
momentous news
and it's great news
for anybody
who is humble
enough to listen
and to respond
absolutely liberating
God deals with
our sins
he sets us free.
Twelve chapters
of Romans
is summarised
by three verses
in Ephesians
so if you want
to learn
Romans chapter
1 to 12
off by heart
go to Ephesians
chapter 2
8 to 10
for it is by
grace you have
been saved
through faith
and this not
from yourselves
it is the gift
of God
not by works
so that no one
can boast
for we are
God's workmanship
created in Christ
Jesus to do
good works
which God
prepared in advance
for us to do
so God saved
us
and now there is
much that we can
do for him
we enter
into the
king's service
we are his
Romans chapter
6 describes
this as becoming
a slave
to a new
master
we're all
slaves
the issue
is who
is your
master
and so
our spiritual
act of worship
that's the
NIV again
or service
is total
it's whole
of life
it's nothing
more
it's nothing
less
it's not
about bottoms
on seats
on Sunday
it's about
living for
Jesus
choosing to
live Jesus
way
making conscious
decisions
day by day
moment by
moment
to do and
respond to
what Jesus
wants and not
what we are
naturally inclined
to do
we will have
all carry
different burdens
and struggles
to this
morning
how do we
honour Christ
in the midst
of those
struggles
what does it
mean to
trust him
what does it
mean to be
faithful to
him
therefore I
urge you
brothers and
sisters
in view of
God's mercy
to offer your
bodies as
living sacrifices
holy and
pleasing to God
this is your
spiritual act
of worship
and I want
to come back
to that
I want to
say to you
that spiritual
act of
service
which is
what the
NIV has
is a very
unhelpful
translation
because it
actually says
this is your
logical act
of worship
this is your
reasonable act
of worship
it is the
most reasonable
it is the
most rational
thing to do
and it's
really interesting
because I
think we
ought to be
about feelings
and emotions
it ought to be
part of our
worship and
who we are
in Christ
but it is
really clear
that this is
much more than
feeling good
about the
gospel
Paul has
taken pages
and pages
and chapters
to explain
his gospel
and now in
one verse he
calls us to
good thinking
God does not
ask us to
throw away our
minds to
believe in him
we are to
use our minds
and to see
that the
most logical
response to
what God
has done
is to give
ourselves to
him
he's proved
his love
respond to
it it defies
logic not to
atheism works
furiously to
deny God
and do you
know what
they have to
because if
God is as
good as the
scriptures say
he is
then we are
absolute fools
to reject
him
the other
part of this
passage says
do not
conform any
longer to the
pattern of
this world
but be
transformed by
the renewing
of your
mind
and then you
will be able
to test and
approve what
God's will is
his good
perfect and
pleasing will
see the minds
are still in
action in the
second verse as
well
conformed or
transformed
the words
presume that
the usual
ways conformity
to be pressed
or moulded into
the ways of the
world
the word is
age it's not
world
conformed to
the ways of
this age
there's a
contrast between
this age in
which we live
in the age
which is yet
to come
when Christ
will be seen
as king
and the
bible's very
clear that we
live in an
age which is
coming to an
end it is
temporary we
become resident
aliens with
visitor permits
old christian song
is right when
it says that
this world is
not our home
we are only
visiting this
planet
we are temporary
residents of
this age
and we are
heirs of the
age to come
we still live
with the
pressure of
life here
we see the
same media
we're subject
to the same
temptations as
everybody else
is subject
to
I think it's
foolish to
pretend that
we're not
drawn by
sin and
affected by
sin
it's better to
be honest than
not to hide our
struggles
and too many
christians get
caught out saying
one thing and
living completely
differently
it's hypocrisy
which brings
shame on the
name of the
lord jesus
so the gospel
calls us to
break with our
past to
reject conformity
to be
transformed in
our minds to
be transformed in
our thinking to
think differently
the ongoing
transformation is
envisaged it's
not like we just
arrived we don't
have to do
anything anymore
this is ongoing
the work of
christy spirit in
our lives
the christian life
is a journey where
we are constantly
learning how to
think differently
romans chapter 8
talks about
mindset
verse 5
those who live
according to the
sinful nature have
their minds set
on what that
nature desires
but those who
live in accordance
with the spirit
have their minds
set on what the
spirit desires
transformed is a
wonderful word in
the original language
it's the word that
we get metamorphosis
from
so to be
transformed is to
be metamorphosed
the caterpillar spins
its cocoon
goes to sleep
and it goes through
the process of
metamorphosis
it changes
it emerges from
the cocoon
transformed
into the most
magnificent moths
and butterflies
it's changed from
a creature
that crawls on
its belly to a
creature that
flies
it goes through
radical regeneration
same word is used
of the lord jesus
when he's
transfigured in
his heavenly
form
the disciples
get a glimpse
of his heavenly
glory
when we become
christians
the change
begins
it begins
in our minds
it begins
with a change
in thought
a change
in thinking
a change
in attitude
towards god
and towards
his son
the lord
jesus christ
but it moves
beyond that
and paul
urges us
to allow
our minds
to dwell
in good
places
so philippians
chapter 4
finally brothers
and sisters
whatever is
true
whatever is
noble
whatever is
right
whatever is
pure
whatever is
lovely
whatever is
admirable
if anything
is excellent
or praiseworthy
think about
such things
our minds
are renewed
as we let
them dwell
in healthy
places
and as our
minds
change
we too
change
from people
crawling
through the
mud of life
into beautiful
new creatures
beginning to
learn to
fly
I experienced
distorted
thinking yesterday
probably in
a fairly
insubstantial way
but it was just
on my mind
in terms of the
message for this
morning
but we had a
wonderful day
here yesterday
with community
group leader
training
we were here
a lot of the
morning
the afternoon
and I went
home
after what felt
like a big day
and it felt like
a really good
day
and a God
blessed day
and I thought
I'll watch a movie
and relax for a
while
you've earned a
break
but the movie
affected my
mood
and my thinking
in a really
unhelpful way
and it wasn't
sex or drugs
or alcohol
or anything
awful
it was just
awful
and by the
time I finished
watching
which was a
mistake
you know
my feelings
were affected
by what
I'd given
my mind
to
in a way
that made
the whole
day feel
terrible
still don't
understand
it
I'll tell you
afterwards
what it was
so you don't
watch it
probably
probably if I
tell you what
it was
you all
sit there
nodding
yeah
did that
to me
too
tell you
later
really dear
brother
challenged me
the other
day from
his own
life
and he
said he's
been
recognizing
similar
things in
himself
he's actually
been recognizing
that when he
thinks in
particular ways
it has an
impact on
relationships
around him
and his
whole disposition
and this is
not just about
positive thinking
stuff
this is about
trying to be
and live in
submission to
Christ
and so he is
consciously working
to recognize that
when he starts to
think negatively
especially in his
marriage and with
issues towards his
wife
he prays in that
moment that God
would take it from
him
he prays that God
would take it from
him
and in Christ
he is striving to
think differently and
it is helping his
relationships
another friend once
said to me think
the best about
someone before you
presume the worst
I think I know it
for myself and you
will too
you know you can
actually go into a
brain spiral can't
you can think
something terrible
like just take your
spouse or your kids
or something and
you go all negative
on it and it goes
down and down and
down and by the time
you're finished you
are in a real mess
and the way that
you got yourself
into that mess was
by the way you
thought
your thoughts took
you there
your mind affected
your whole body's
disposition
those who live in
accordance with the
spirit have their
mind set on what
the spirit desires
be transformed by
the renewing of
your mind and
then you will be
able to test and
approve what God's
will is his good
pleasing and perfect
will
so coming to
Christ is the
beginning but now
that we are his
and I hope that
that's many of us
sitting here in
church this morning
the change continues
as we are prepared
for life in the
age to come
and much of the
change and the
transformation begins
with our minds what
we think
heard a lovely little
story about a little
girl I still don't
know if this is true
or not but church
service one Sunday
the collection plate
went around and it
came to the little
girl and she took
it in her hand she
put it on the floor
and she stood in
it and when the
sides person said
what's she doing
she said well in
Sunday school I
learned that I was
supposed to give
myself to God
got the point of
the passage
applied it maybe a
little too concretely
but got the point
therefore I urge you
brothers and
sisters in view of
God's mercy to
offer your bodies
as living sacrifices
holy and pleasing to
God this is your
logical act of
worship do not
conform any longer
to the pattern of
this world but be
transformed by the
renewing of your
mind and then you
will be able to test
and approve what
God's will is his
good pleasing and
perfect will
God's will is his
services that where
John and Leslie
Hicks live down the
road and a few
others and I think
there's a huge link
between what we've
been doing in Romans
8 1 and what we've
been looking at this
morning in Romans 12
1 because in Romans
8 1 and then at the
end the gospel declares
there is therefore now
no condemnation for
those who are in
Christ Jesus and what
that means is we stand
under the mercy of God
the judge of all the
earth has taken
condemnation right away
from us and we have
this magnificent
experience of his
mercy and we are told
that nothing can
separate us from the
love of Christ which is
in Christ Jesus our
Lord we are
recipients of
phenomenal mercy
mercy and so you get
the 12 one in view of
this mercy in view of
God's mercy live for
Christ your whole life
everywhere you go
everything you do
everything you think
and we applied it the
other day and we
thought you know renewed
minds leads to renewed
relationships and one of
the greatest things that
we've received is this
experience of mercy from
God's hand towards
ourselves and he has
put in our hands the
ability to extend
undeserved mercy in all
sorts of relationships that
we find ourselves in and
I want to say let's begin
at home
in the relationships which
are closest to us but
move out from there
because we know that in
our families sometimes we
carry deep hurt and
wounds whether it be our
immediate family or
families which are a bit
further out God has
given us in Christ the
tools to be full of
mercy to one another just
as we have received it for
ourselves in Christ
let's pray Lord Jesus we
pray that you would help
help us to see our whole
life as yours and we do
struggle with sin in this
age with weakness and
failure and sometimes grave
error in our own lives but we
experience it Lord in the hope
of the enormous mercy that you
have shown us in Christ and we
pray that just as you are
transforming us that we would
be transformed in the way that
we relate to those around us
especially to those who are near
us in Christ even within our own
families please transform us Lord
Jesus individually and corporately
as the people of God that your
name would be glorified in
everything we do and we pray
this in Jesus precious name
Amen