Father, we're very good at noticing the sins of other people,
and we're not very good at seeing our own sin.
And we're very good, Father, at seeing the horrible sins of other ages.
Father, we can be shocked that Christians would have ever owned a slave.
But, Father, we can be completely and utterly, not can be,
we are, Father, completely and utterly blind
to the way that our own age and our own culture shapes us.
And leads us into sin.
Father, a sin that if your son tarries in 100 or 200 years,
people will look at us and say, how on earth could they do that?
Father, we want to live pure and holy lives that please you.
We ask that you would gently but deeply lead us and guide us into all truth.
Help us, Father, not to be conformed to this age,
but be transformed by the renewal of our mind.
That we might live as disciples of Jesus, gripped by the gospel,
who are bringing you glory.
And this we ask in Jesus' name, your Son and our Savior. Amen.
Please be seated.
Amen.
I've had, over the years, I've heard some really remarkable conversion stories.
I'm just going to share two of them with you very briefly,
with the emphasis that definitely do not try this as a means to get to know Jesus.
The first one is a fellow, both of these are people who no longer come to the church
or some of the previous churches that I serve,
so you don't have to look around the congregation wondering who it was.
And the first one was a fellow who was very, very heavily into drugs,
and he went for a drive out in the country, and he took some acid.
He parked by the side of the road, found a really nice spot, and he took some acid, LSD.
And he had a mom who was a believer in Jesus who was praying for him quite fervently.
Those of you who are familiar with church history, he had a Monica who was praying for her wayward son.
And while he was stoned, and he'd been stoned many, many, many times in his life, he had a problem with drugs.
While he was stoned, Jesus came to him.
And Jesus came to him, and the fellow told me after this, I met him about six months after this, he'd become sober.
Jesus came to him and talked to him.
And the fellow said this was unlike any other trip or experience that he'd ever had,
that somehow or another he knew that this was real, and that Jesus came to him to call him to be his own.
And, I mean, he didn't give up drugs instantly, but he got sober.
He became a Christian, got involved in a church.
I know another young woman, and she told me about how she came to faith.
And she went to another city and rented a hotel room.
And she rented a hotel room because she was going to commit suicide.
And she had tried to think of a way to commit suicide that would inconvenience the least number of people.
And she felt that she didn't have any friends in the world.
And she didn't want her mom to find her body.
So she went to another city, rented a hotel room, and had enough drugs to kill five people.
Because she did the research.
And she took all the drugs and lay down to die.
And as she's lying there, because she's going to sleep, she has a dream.
And she meets Jesus, who calls her and says he wants her to be his child.
And the next morning she woke up.
She didn't die.
Like, enough drugs to kill five people.
She didn't die.
She became a Christian.
Eventually cleaned up her life.
Now, you can see why I'm telling you,
definitely do not try either of these things yourself as a way to meet Jesus.
Unfortunately, I've done lots of funerals for people who've committed suicide.
And some of them buy lots of drugs.
So definitely do not think this is what you do to meet Jesus.
But sometimes, for whatever reason,
God will use very, very unusual ways to bring people to himself.
Now, the question that, in a sense, for each of these people,
after they become a Christian,
the question could be, and the question that they both had was,
well, what's next?
How shall I, like, what do I now have to do to live?
In both cases, I only met them, like, in one case,
about a year after the person became a Christian.
Another one about six months after they became a Christian.
But, like, how do we live?
After you have an experience like this,
or after you come to know Jesus, like, what's next?
How shall we then live?
Most of us, maybe all of us,
have either far more common stories about coming to faith in Jesus.
Some of us have probably grown up in Christian homes,
and we've, in a sense, always had a faith in Jesus.
But the question is still a really good one,
like, well, what's next?
Given that we've given our lives to Jesus, what's next?
How shall we then live?
So it would be a great help to me
if you would turn in your Bibles to Romans chapter 12.
And we took a break for Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday,
but we're still going through the book of Romans.
We're going to finish it in a couple of weeks,
or six or seven weeks.
And when I preached on Romans chapter 12, 1 and 2,
as you're trying to find it in your Bibles,
that was the Sunday that we had.
Remember the time change in 9 a.m.?
So I'm just going to, we're going to read Romans 12.
Even though Nora didn't read verses 1 and 2,
we're going to begin by reading verses 1 and 2.
And Paul wrote, just as you're turning to it,
the way Paul wrote the book of Romans
is very, very particular.
He basically, if you remember correctly,
we're going to read it later on,
Romans 1, he says, you know,
hi, I'm Paul, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Going to go there, going to do this.
Looking forward to seeing you.
Then Romans 1, 16 to 17,
he basically gives the theme of the whole book,
the message of the book.
And then from Romans 1, 18 to Romans 11,
he basically says why we need the gospel
and what the gospel is.
He explains and defends the gospel.
But now in chapter 12, verse 1,
and right through the end of the book,
he basically is going to address the question,
how shall we then live?
If the gospel is true, how do we live?
What do we do?
What do we not do?
And Paul has actually written this last bit
in a very, very particular way as well,
because this in many ways seems to be
his most thought out book.
Not that he didn't think about the other ones,
but in all the books in the New Testament,
this is very, very carefully crafted
with certain features.
And one of the features is that
these two verses that I'm going to read to you
in a moment,
this gives you the basic principle
of how you live as a Christian
after you've accepted the gospel.
And all of the rest of chapters 12, 13, 14, and 15
are Paul trying to flesh this out,
but these first two verses are really key.
So even though you have your Bibles open,
Andrew, could you put it up on the screen?
We're going to read it together
because if you get nothing else
out of coming to sermons on the book of Romans
but memorizing these verses,
then I've done a great thing,
or God's done a great thing in your life,
because it's far better that you remember the scripture
than you remember anything I say.
So if you read this with me, please.
I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters,
by the mercies of God,
to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God,
which is your rational worship.
Do not be conformed to this age,
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern
what is the will of God,
what is good and pleasing and perfect.
So Paul's described the gospel,
like in a sense, if I was to talk to that young man
who had met Jesus on a drug trip
or the young woman who tried to kill herself with drugs,
and she was to say, well, what's next?
I mean, on one hand,
after you explain the gospel to them a bit,
is you can look at a verse like this.
These are two perfect verses to memorize
for the rest of your life.
And you'll notice it goes,
I appeal to you, therefore, brothers and sisters.
You've heard the gospel.
What's the therefore?
Is there a certain way that we're going to be led to live
if we've received the gospel,
that Jesus has died for us on the cross,
that he died in our place,
that his death and resurrection
is a power that comes from God,
that if we put our faith and trust in him,
a power comes from God
to make us right with God forever,
something that can be never taken away from us.
And does that then mean that we just do bad things?
Or like, what does it mean in terms of how we live?
Well, Paul says, the rational thing,
as the gospel grips you,
and you start to have this sense
that Jesus left the Father's side,
God, the Son of God,
leaves the Father's side
and comes and seeks us out.
He sets aside his riches
and becomes poor for us
so that we can become rich.
He takes upon himself
the doom that you and I deserve
and offers to us the destiny that he deserves,
that he takes upon himself our death
and offers his life,
that we can enter into him,
that he only takes away the bad things
that we've done,
that his life of perfect obedience to the Father,
his 100% with God,
that he, in a sense,
takes our exam results,
which is, you know,
maybe at the best is like 5%,
and he gives us his,
he takes the 5% paper,
he takes 100%,
all of these different images
that as this grips you,
the rational response
is to want to offer your life to God.
That's rational.
That's the rational response.
As the gospel grips you,
the rational response
trickles into your mind
is to offer your body,
and the word body here means
your real life,
not your imaginary life,
not just your feelings,
although your feelings matter,
not just your mind,
although your mind matters,
not just your imagination,
although your imagination matters,
not just your sensibilities,
although those matter as well,
as everything that makes you you
in your embodied existence,
everything that makes you you,
your finances,
your sexuality,
your career,
your IQ,
your creativity,
your wounds,
your weaknesses,
your illnesses,
your sicknesses,
your strengths,
every single thing
that makes you you,
that as the gospel grips you,
the rational response
is that you would offer it to God.
And when it says here
living sacrifice,
which is a very,
very good translation in English,
but the original language is
that the sacrifice,
it's the act of killing,
a living killing,
that we offer ourselves to God
in such a way
that he's going to kill things within us.
But as he kills things in us,
we live more.
You know,
those of us
who've struggled with addictions
have a sense about what that means.
Those of us
who've never struggled with addictions,
I mean,
we still can know it in other ways,
but those of you,
it's not that God gave you an addiction
so that you would know something
that other people don't know,
but I'm just sharing with you,
those of you,
us who have known
how alcohol or drugs
or sex
or gambling
has completely and utterly
bent our lives out of shape,
that as we kill that,
we discover that we're more alive.
That's the basic principle
which is being talked about here.
And the other basic principle
which is being talked about here
is the second verse,
that this world forms us
in different ways.
It forms us in ways
that we're not even aware of.
I don't know how many of you
have ever shopped at Costco,
but if you shop at Costco
for the first time,
you're going to mess up
because there's a way
of shopping at Costco.
You have to show your card
at the beginning
you have to let go
of your cart
at the checkout counter.
We get addicted
to holding on to our cart
and you have to actually
put the cart
on the other side
and walk away from it.
There's things like that, right?
And then after a while
you just realize
you've been conformed
to how to shop at Costco.
When I went to England,
I'm used to waitresses
or waiters
coming to the table
and in a lot of places
they don't come to the table.
You have to,
if you sit there
for a long time
they'll keep looking at you
but they won't come
and serve you
because it works different
and we get conformed
to this age.
And so the Bible here
in the next part
is saying
that one of the things
that's going to happen
as we're gripped
by the gospel
is that we have to
in a sense
regularly say to God,
God,
this age is conforming me
in different ways
and I don't want
to be conformed
to this age
in ways that aren't
honoring to you
but may you
transform my mind.
I want to let you
transform my mind
and how I think
and how I see the world
and I don't want to
just sort of sit here
waiting until you do it
like just sort of
by magic.
I want to test it.
In other words,
the word testing here
doesn't mean that
God's testing you.
It's a little bit as if
let's say you're
with somebody
and an accident happens
and there's no
cell phone coverage
but this is like
in early March
and you're on the
bank of a river
and the river's frozen
and you can see
on the other side
of the brief river
that there's a phone
that you can use
to call for help
because you need
to get an ambulance
to this person right away
and so you test the ice
as you walk across
and that's sort of
the image here
for testing
is that you get up
off your butt
and you actually
do something
and God isn't
expecting to get it
perfect.
He's not saying
just sit on your butt
until you get it
100% sorted out
in your head
that you actually
do stuff
and you try to
sort it out
as you go along
and as you're moving
God will begin to
and you want God
to transform your mind
he'll start to
transform your mind.
That's his basic principle.
All the rest of the
book of Romans
is going to
unpack it
because we need
to have a bit
of a better idea
about what this
is going to look like
and so Paul
is going to try
to unpack this
for the rest
of the book of Romans
but you can see
basically that
I know that
memorizing isn't
like very cool
or hip
or anything anymore
like I know
if you go to school
I don't think
they'd like you
to memorize
they don't even
want you to
memorize the times
tables
a little bit
of a non-Bible rant
if you're a parent
and you have kids
have them memorize
the times tables
like it's just smart
okay
it doesn't matter
if a whole pile
sorry I'm going to
get people mad
it doesn't matter
if a whole pile
of people with PhDs
at the school of education
say that it's not
good to memorize
memorize your times tables
okay
have your kids
anyway sorry
that's a bit of an aside
but you know
it'll help for the rest
of your life
it's painful
watching somebody
trying to do
the simplest math
in their head
if they just knew
it would be
anyway never mind
so but if you want
you know
this is a verse
these are two verses
to memorize
and to think about
and to meditate upon
and to pray over
for the rest of your life
so it's very very precious
but now the question
then is
what does this look like
like if
in counseling
one of the things
they teach you
if you take a
courses in counseling
is so somebody
comes to you
because they have
some problems
and maybe one of the
things they say
to you early on
is
you know
Fred hates me
that's
I don't know
how to handle it
because Fred
hates my guts
and it's just
causing me
a lot of distress
and so
one of the things
that they teach you
in counseling
is well
what does that mean
okay
don't assume
that when somebody
comes to you
for counseling
and they say
Fred hates my guts
that you know
what that means
precisely
you need to get
them to talk
to flesh that out
a little bit
like
like are they
physically abusing
you
are you
misreading
situations
like what does it
mean
don't assume
you know what it
means
so you
normally
and you
in counseling
as well
they try to
ask you
they try to
teach you
to never ask
why questions
because why
questions
for modern
and post-modern
North Americans
can feel
threatening
to a person
who's feeling
weak
so they
try to
train you
then to
try to
get
you want
to ask
why
but you
can't
use
the word
why
so you
say
something
like
well can
you give
me an
example
of how
you know
they hate
you
or
can you
give me
a couple
of incidents
or
for instances
or something
you get
them talking
and
then as
they start
to flesh
it out
you get
a bit
of an idea
so that's
what Paul's
going to be
doing
throughout
the rest
of the
book of
Romans
he has
these two
this basic
understanding
of what it
means
how shall
we then
live
after we've
given our
lives to
Jesus
it's very
very brilliant
because it
doesn't matter
if you went
back in time
and you're
in the year
1000
in Europe
it doesn't
matter today
if you're
in China
where there's
persecution
of Christians
it wouldn't
matter if you
are in
Alabama
doesn't matter
if you're
in Ottawa
this is
like a
brilliant
way
to
communicate
how you
begin
to live
which is
culturally
flexible
and appropriate
but gets
right to the
heart
and so
Paul's
going to
now start
to flesh
it out
and it's
very very
interesting
the way
he begins
to flesh
it out
is by
getting us
to think
about how
we think
about
ourselves
because
one of
the fundamental
human
problems
is that
we measure
everything
by how
it affects
us
and
often
a common
problem
it doesn't
matter
if you're
a person
with low
self-esteem
or high
self-esteem
one of the
things which
unites people
with low
and high
self-esteem
is that
we can't
get over
ourselves
and so
Paul is
going to
right away
begin to
address our
thinking
so verse
three goes
like this
Romans
12
three
for by
the grace
given to
me
and that's
going to
be really
important
okay
everything
that he's
going to
say
is coming
from the
perspective
of God
offering us
grace
in Jesus
he's not
saying that
okay if you
receive the
gospel now
you're going
to live
as if Jesus
didn't live
and die
for you
you're going
to live
as if God
doesn't show
you grace
you're just
going to
live by
rules and
techniques
that you
can follow
I mean
that's how
we North
Americans
we love
techniques
we love
practices
we love
seven simple
steps
or five
simple
steps
or three
habits
or whatever
it is
we love
things like
that
and Paul
is going
to say
no no no
grace
okay in a sense
when you wake
up in the morning
don't think
what are the
six simple
steps I need
to succeed
think of the
mercies of
God
think of the
gospel
think of
grace
earlier on
I joked
about how
I love
reading the
old
colics
because it
makes you
realize that
God is the
guarantor of
the church
that if I
screw up
my sermon
today
it's not
as if
the Christian
gospel
collapses
if Joey
screws up
one Sunday
it doesn't
mean the
gospel
collapses
the fact
of the
matter
is
that God
is going
to love
me today
when I
give my
faith and
trust
put my
faith and
trust in
Jesus
and he
takes my
doom upon
himself
and he
offers me
his destiny
he offers
me his
destiny
which means
that my
slate is
wiped
clean
and the
perfect
rule
keeping
so to
speak
that's
needed
is
accomplished
by him
as well
and that
extends from
the moment
of my
conception
to the
moment
of my
death
nothing
will surprise
God
about anything
in the future
I just
experienced my
life as a
moment in time
he sees the
whole thing
he takes
the whole
thing
Jesus dies
and pays
and covers
the whole
thing with
nothing left
over
and it means
that whether
I do a good
job this
morning or a
poor job
this morning
God still
loves me
I will still
go to the
new heaven
and the
new earth
the entire
Christian life
emerges
not out of
a desire
to manipulate
God
or make
God love
me or
notice me
or show
how I am
more special
or choice
that's the
devil at work
in our lives
to undermine
our faith
the whole
Christian life
flows out
of grace
and gratitude
for grace
nothing
nothing can
separate me
from the
love of
God
not because
there's
something
special
about me
but because
Jesus
took me
as his
own
and when
Jesus
takes me
as his
own
nothing
can
separate
me
from the
love
of God
and that's
the promise
for you
too
that's
Romans 8
so let's
look at
verse 3
again
it's really
it begins
by grace
for by
grace
the grace
given to me
I say to
everyone
among you
not to
think of
himself
more highly
than he
ought to
think
but to
think with
sober
judgment
each
according to
the measure
of faith
that God
has assigned
now
this is
very very
good
but it's
easy to be
a little bit
confused
about it
at the
heart of
the text
is
how do I
think about
myself
well the
fact of
the matter
is
you know
I'm a
middle-aged
male
who lives
in Canada
and so
my tendency
is to think
of myself
in terms
of the
number
of toys
I have
and the
tendency
of how
I evaluate
myself
is maybe
how many
degrees
I have
how much
money
I've
made
depending
on the
type of
middle-aged
guy
the number
of sexual
conquests
that I've
had in
my life
or better
hopefully
the success
of my
marriage
and that
my kids
still talk
to me
don't hate
my guts
but how
do I
evaluate
myself
and what
the text
is here
saying about
it is
that there's
a basic
problem
is that we
think too
highly
of ourselves
we can't
get over
ourselves
we evaluate
everything
from our
own
perspective
the ancient
Christians
understood
pride
as the
deadliest
of the
seven
deadly
sins
because
at the
heart
of pride
is an
over
concern
with the
self
so that
the self
becomes
like a
black
hole
you know
a black
hole
is where
the matter
is so
dense
that even
light
can't escape
from it
the light
is bent
towards it
because the
matter is so
dense
and the
gravitational
field
is so
powerful
is that
pride
and self
centeredness
when it
becomes so
unbelievably
strong
we become
like a
walking
black hole
we suck
life
and light
into
ourselves
and we
only think
about
ourselves
humility
isn't
thinking
badly
about
ourselves
but it's
the freedom
of self
forgetfulness
it's
the
seven
month
old
child
who can
be
completely
and utterly
enraptured
by
something
out there
and you
can sort
of tell
that for
a brief
moment
because
children
can be
unbelievably
self
centered
and self
preoccupied
but for
a brief
moment
you can
look at
that child
and realize
that that
child
no longer
realizes
that it
exists
because
it is
he or
she is
so
completely
enraptured
by that
which is
outside
and that
is a
brief
image
or glimpse
or snapshot
of what
the Bible
is calling
for in
humility
the freedom
of self
forgetfulness
as Tim
Keller
put it
and so
if you
look at
this text
again
here
for by
the grace
given to
me
I say
to everyone
among you
not to
think of
himself
or herself
more highly
than he ought
to think
of and more
often
and all of
that
but to
think with
sober
judgment
in other
words
what's
sober
judgment
sober
means
that you're
in touch
with
reality
right
that's
what sober
means
amongst
other
things
it not
only means
that you're
in touch
with
reality
it also
means
that you're
not
driven
by
compulsions
that's
another
aspect
of what
sober
means
I'm
not
driven
in the
real world
God
exists
like
in the
real world
I'm a
creature
living in
a created
order
where there's
a creator
who sustains
his created
order
as I'm
gripped by
the gospel
and I start
to have
a greater
comfort
with saying
I am
not a
God
I am
not the
center
of
life
I am
not the
center
of
things
that are
most
important
I'm
a
creature
I'm
sustained
by a
creator
I have
one
who's
created
me
I am
not
God
as
these
things
enter
into
us
we're
becoming
sober
we're
becoming
realistic
we're
entering
into
the
real
world
the
gospel
leads
us
into
the
real
world
not
away
from
the
real
world
if
there
really
is a
God
who does
exist
to live
as if
there
isn't
a
God
or to
live in
rebellion
against
God
is to
be
consumed
with a
compulsion
and we'd
want to
say you
need to
be sober
so as
we're
gripped
by the
gospel
the
gospel
is going
to
help
us
to
not
be
driven
by
compulsions
and it's
going to
help us
to live
in the
real
world
where God
really does
exist
where you
can call out
to God
in prayer
and he
does
things
not
everything
you want
thanks be
to God
grade 12
I dated a
girl for
10 months
and she
broke up
with me
and I
prayed for
years
that she
would get
back to
me
and I
am so
thankful
God
said no
to every
one of
those
prayers
because he
had Louise
in mind
for me
that I
didn't even
know
existed
and she
has been
the perfect
wife for
me
I can
multiply
it
examples
so look
at verse
three again
for by the
grace given
to me I
say to
everyone
among you
not to
think of
himself
more highly
than he
ought to
think
but to
think
with sober
judgment
each
according
to the
measure of
faith that
God has
assigned
and what
this isn't
saying that
God's given
a different
measure of
faith to
every person
the word
measure can
also be
translated as
standard
so in
other words
not only
are we to
not think of
ourselves too
highly but
the standard
by which we
are to think
about ourselves
is the
gospel message
the faith
that God
exists
that human
beings have
been in
rebellion
against God
and when
God saw
our great
need he
did not
turn away
from us
or hate
us
but in
love and
mercy
by still
being just
he sent
his son
to die
upon the
cross
to take
upon himself
the doom
that we
deserved
and that we
were facing
and that we
could not
avoid
and God
takes upon
him
Jesus
takes upon
himself
our
unavoidable
doom
and offers
us freely
by grace
his destiny
in an
exchange
and when
we put
our faith
and trust
in Jesus
that's
what's
happening
the death
that we
cannot
avoid
by our
own
power
that we
needed a
miracle
from God
we put
our faith
and trust
in Jesus
and that
doom
is on
Jesus
that's why
he dies
and his
destiny
is now
ours
and that
is to be
the standard
and the
lens
by which
we are
to understand
the meaning
of our
life
and the
significance
of our
life
you see
this is
profound
news
because if
you think
that having
toys
is the
measure
of your
life's
success
you will
always be
unhappy
and just
think about
this
when this
letter
written to
Rome
archaeologists
and
anthropologists
estimate
that 70%
of the
people
in the
church
of Rome
hearing
this
letter
were
slaves
they don't
have to
measure
themselves
by their
owners
they have
the destiny
of Jesus
that's their
destiny
they can
measure
their
significance
by the
gospel
that the
God who
has created
and sustained
all universes
the true
God who
has shown
that all
of the
idols
of Rome
the
pretensions
of Nero
who thinks
that he's
a God
that those
are all
lies
they're
fantasies
they're
illusions
they are
people who
need to
sober up
but the
God
of the
universe
loved them
so much
that his
son died
upon the
cross
for them
a slave
in Rome
and he died
for them
and that
is how
they are
to understand
and see
their life
and for us
not old
not sick
not dying
not fat
not strong
not beautiful
not young
not successful
not unsuccessful
not a failure
not any of
those things
the gospel
invites us
as we're
gripped by
the gospel
to have
the gospel
be the way
that we
understand
our lives
I put it
in a prayer
if you could
put it up
dear Lord
please make me
a disciple
of Jesus
gripped by
the gospel
who can
think about
myself
with sober
judgment
by the
light of
the gospel
see that
that's what
God is
speaking to
us through
his word
and he
wants us
to listen
to him
and he
wants us
now to
speak to
him
and he'll
continue
to speak
to you
dear Lord
please make
me a
disciple
of Jesus
gripped
by the
gospel
who can
think about
myself
with sober
judgment
by the
light
of the
gospel
some of
you are
a bit
surprised
because I
only have
about ten
more minutes
left in
the sermon
I haven't
even got
to the
gifts
part
and
you know
the really
hard part
about us
North
Americans
is that
we want
to get
to the
practical
techniques
and applications
really quick
and we're
really hoping
that George
will give
the six
simple
steps
by which
you understand
your gift
and the five
simple
practices
by which
you'll do
them really
really well
and we
want to
we don't
even realize
how deeply
addicted we
are to
that
we're deeply
addicted
and here's
another thing
if you're a
non-Christian
who's here
this morning
I want to
tell you
one of the
things about
us Christians
is that
we're blind
to how deeply
driven we are
by consumerism
that consumerism
shapes us
regrettably
lamentably
just as much
as it
shapes you
and most
people in
our culture
that we're
not aware
of the
fact how
we view
everything
in terms
of what
we can
consume
and how
we can
evaluate
the consumption
experience
and we
are so
increasingly
deeply
formed by
that
we rarely
think of
how we
can serve
or how
we can
give
and even
when we
think of
giving
we think
of giving
in a
consumerist
way
like
how can
I give
in such
a way
that when
I apply
to medical
school
it will
look really
good
or how
can I
give in
such a way
that when
I go
to that
party
for the
hip person
within the
hip person's
house
that I can
tell them
about this
thing that I'm
doing to
give back
that everybody
will go
wow
that's
pretty
we don't
even realize
that often
our giving
isn't a
dying to
self
but an
asserting
and exalting
of ourself
that we
have a
hard time
figuring out
how to
serve
without also
figuring out
a way to
assert and
exalt
ourselves
that's why
we need
sober
judgment
that's why
we need
to measure
ourselves
by the
gospel
that's
why
the Bible
is smarter
than our
culture
and it
starts with
verse 3
and doesn't
go right
to verses
6 to
8
what precisely
is prophecy
how exactly
no no no no
sober
judgment
okay
sober judgment
in light of
the gospel
and this
consumerist
mindset
is one of
the reasons
why most
of us
can't figure
out our
spiritual
gifts
or many
of us
not most
many of us
can't figure
out our
spiritual
gifts
because when
you have
a consumerist
frame
by which
you understand
the world
and a
consumerist
frame by
which you
understand
the church
and a
consumerist
frame by
which you're
going to
understand your
gifts in a
consumerist
frame
which means
that you're
looking in the
wrong spot
and you're
missing simple
steps to try
to discover
it
but verses
4 and 5
so think
about soberly
what's the
first thing
you have to
think about
soberly
look at
verses 4
and 5
for as in
one body
we have
many members
and the
members do
not all
have the
same function
so we
though many
are one
body in
Christ
and individually
members
one of
another
remember I've
shared before
we enter the
Jesus way
one by one
by faith in
Jesus
we enter the
Jesus way
one by one
but we walk
the Jesus way
with Jesus
and others
and if we're
not walking
with Jesus
and others
we're on our
duff or we're
going somewhere
else but we're
not on the
Jesus way
we enter by
grace God
keeps us
there by
grace
it's not a
new type of
legalism it's
just a way to
understand things
that being a
Christian being
connected with
others is
is not a
negotiable part
of the Christian
faith it's part
of how the
Holy Spirit will
lead us
to want to
be involved
in the lives
of others
and one of
the reasons
that many of
us can't
discover our
spiritual gifts
is because
we're not even
dating the
church
but we're
like
a man
who goes
to bars
looking for
sexual experiences
a different
sexual experience
or pleasurable
experience
every night
but not
looking to
find a person
that he can
marry and be
with for the
rest of his
life
and we
come to
church as
consumers
we come to
church for a
while because
maybe the band
is hot and we
really like the
songs they sing
or maybe I
don't know they
like the speaker
but then you
know there's a
better speaker
there's a better
band there's a
better experience
there's a cooler
venue or there's
something more
traditional
I want to get
away from all
that contemporary
stuff I want to
go back to
something a little
more traditional
and you go to
the traditional
for three or
four months
or five months
and then you
go to another
spot and without
realizing it
we have a
consumerist
mindset
we don't move
to a city
looking for a
church that we
can call home
warts and
wrinkles
and not
perfect
and if it was
a perfect church
and you joined
you just made it
imperfect
and if we're
not actually
part of a
local church
of body
it's going to
be hard to
actually ever
find our
spiritual gifts
because our
consumerism is
so deeply
embedded in us
that we're not
even conscious
of it
I put it this
way in a
prayer
if you could
put up the
second prayer
dear Lord
please make me
a disciple of
Jesus gripped
by the gospel
and deliver me
from all
consumerism
individualism
narcissism
and judgmentalism
so that I
can commit
to a local
church and
its people
see that's
all part of
consumerism
consumerism fits
in with
narcissism
being overly
in love with
yourself
or you can
never get
over yourself
and it's
inherently
judgmentalism
I don't know
if I like
that Joey
and the way
he sings
I don't know
you know
just that song
I don't like
the way that
George preaches
and you know
you know
it's always
you're looking
you don't realize
you're walking
around unbelieving
unbelievably
judgmental
I'm walking
around judgmental
I don't go
into it saying
I get to
spend time
with Jesus
in the presence
of his people
and I know
that some of
these people
bug me
but gosh
it never
dawned me
that I'm
bugging
some of
these people
bugging
works both
ways
I'm thinking
of leaving
the church
because of
that person
they're
thinking
of leaving
because of
me
we both
end up
at the
same
church
in three
months
and we
both leave
because we're
bugged with
each other
you know
like get over
yourself
George
get over
yourself
you know
that's
this prayer
we rarely
pray that God
will deliver us
from consumerism
and maybe
that's the big
message for you
who have given
your life
to Jesus
consumerism
doesn't mean
consuming a lot
although it might
mean that
it means
something very
different
it means
this exaltation
of the self
and everything
is viewed
from the
perspective
of the
experience
of consuming
how demons
think
it shows
it's devilish
I just
very briefly
if you know
it from this
perspective
that for many
of us
the first
step
of
discovering
our spiritual
gifts
is committing
to a local
church
as a
disciple
of Jesus
gripped
by the
gospel
let's
look at
these
gifts
very
briefly
verses
six
to
eight
having
gifts
that
differ
according
to the
grace
given
to us
and
the
word
gift
and
grace
are
basically
coming
from
the
same
word
and
it's
telling
us
that
every
person
who
comes
to
Jesus
he
gives
them
gifts
and
just
as a
bit
of an
aside
nobody
gets
all
the
gifts
one of
the
gifts
mentioned
in the
bible
is
celibacy
so all
you
married
people
you
didn't
get
that
gift
okay
those
of us
looking
for
marriage
we might
have it
for a
season
but then
we don't
have it
so
nobody
gets
all
the
gifts
but
everybody
gets
some
gifts
and
everybody
needs
people
to
use
their
gifts
like
I
need
other
people
to
use
their
gifts
to
help
me
and
I
need
to
use
my
gifts
to
help
others
having
gifts
that
differ
according
to
the
grace
that
given
to
us
so
they
differ
okay
it's
like
a
rainbow
it's
like
light
coming
into
a
crystal
it
comes
into
the
crystal
but
it
goes
out
in
multiple
colors
we
all
get
the
same
grace
but
the
same
grace
that
comes
into
our
lives
is
going
to
give
us
different
gifts
let
us
use
them
in
the
blog
today
in
the
bulletin
I
give
you
some
I
think
six
or
seven
simple
pointers
about
how
to
discover
your
spiritual
gifts
so
you
can
look
in
that
to
get
just
take
that
home
or
it's
also
going
to
be
online
on
Monday
and
you
can
read
it
if
you'd
like
if
prophecy
in
proportion
to
our
faith
and
prophecy
here
could
mean
that
God
gives
you
spiritual
and
supernatural
knowledge
into
another
person's
life
or
situation
that
you
couldn't
have
naturally
that
is a
possible
meaning
to
it
probably
the
more
common
way
that
we
experience
prophecy
is
that
it's
Holy
Spirit
driven
speech
with
Holy
Spirit
authority
that
touches
our
hearts
like
you
should
pray
that
every
Sunday
morning
whether
it's
me
or
whoever
is
up
opening
the
word
that
you
won't
just
be
opening
the
word
it'll
be
prophecy
which
only
you know
one of the
things I try
to pray
every week
as I'm
preparing
for this
I'm
very
conscious
of
John
the
Baptist
speaking
about
how
he
can
baptize
with
water
but
only
Jesus
will
baptize
with
the
Holy
Spirit
and
in
my
mind
I
envision
you
know
when
you
get
a
bag
of
onions
and
you
take
the
onions
out
and
the
bottom
of
the
bag
are
all
these
little
bits
of
onion
skins
and
I
picture
that
in
my
mind
and
I
think
to
myself
if
God
doesn't
pour
out
his
Holy
Spirit
on
a
Sunday
morning
all
of
my
accomplishments
are
the
onion
skins
left
in
the
bottom
of
the
bag
it
doesn't
matter
how
logical
how
brilliant
how
entertaining
how
winsome
I
am
if
it
isn't
the
Holy
Spirit
moving
through
in
us
through
the
word
then
all
it
is
onion
skins
at
the
bottom
of
the
bag
good
for
nothing
hard
to
clean
up
throw
out
that's
all
it
is
and
in
terms
of
in
proportion
to
our
faith
in
other
words
that
it's
ordered
it's
in
proportion
to
the
Christian
faith
if
service
then
we
should
serve
others
to
teach
then
we
should
teach
others
to
exhort
and
the
word
exhort
is
very
similar
to
the
word
paraclete
from
which
some
of
you
know
is
one
of
the
words
for
the
Holy
Spirit
which
can
also
mean
comfort
can
also
mean
counsel
and
some
of
us
are
just
really
good
at
encouraging
at
counseling
at
coming
along
beside
people
about
putting
our
arms
around
them
so to
speak
about
praying
for
them
and
that's
the
gift
here
that's
being
talked
about
the
one
who
contributes
in
generosity
some
people
are
just
so
good
at
giving
not
only
financially
but
that's
part
of
it
as
well
that
some
people
just
have
a
great
confidence
in
God's
provision
that
they
can
just
be
financially
generous
with
their
time
and
if
you
have
that
gift
you
should
do
it
with
great
generosity
you
know
one
of
the
things
that
we
should
all
pray
about
that
they
say
at
our
funeral
like
wouldn't
it
be
really
nice
if
we
die
and
we
get
to
listen
in
at
what
they're
saying
at
our
funeral
service
was
a
bit
too
generous
like
over
the
top
like
wouldn't
you
rather
them
say
that
about
you
than
saying
boy
George
was
so
cheap
like
he's
the
cheapest
tight
bleep
guy
I
ever
met
in
my
entire
life
so
which
mistake
would
you
rather
make
in
your
life
what
would
the
complaint
about
you
what
choose
the
way
you
want
to
have
people
complain
or
put
show
us
your
faults
when
you
die
too
generous
too
cheap
you
choose
the
one
who
leads
with
zeal
the
one
who
does
acts
of
mercy
with
cheerfulness
here's
the
here's
just
sort of
I've
gone
over
my
time
just
to
sort
of
you
know
wrap
up
actually
Andrew
could
you
put
up
the
theme
verse
for
all
of
the
book
of
Romans
it's
Romans
1
16
can
you
say
this
with
me
we
say
it
every
Sunday
if
you're
a
guest
here
we
say
it
every
Sunday
can
you
say
it
with
me
for
I
am
not
ashamed
of
the
gospel
for
it
is
the
power
of
God
for
salvation
to
everyone
who
believes
to
the
Jew
first
and
also
to
the
Greek
for
in
the
gospel
the
righteousness
of
God
is
revealed
from
faith
to
faith
as
it
is
written
the
righteous
shall
live
by
faith
so
here's
the
big
thing
that
all
of
these
gifts
it's
very
easy
for
us
to
get
into
any
of
these
gifts
and
we
leave
the
gospel
behind
that
prophecy
is
all
just
about
speaking
into
people's
lives
and
you're
not
really
doing
anything
different
than
Maya Angelou
or
Oprah
or
Dr.
Phil
and
service
is
just
really
a
matter
about
doing
whatever
it
is
of
the
culture
it's
easy
to
get
into
these
gifts
and
lose
the
gospel
and
so
this
is
to
faith
in
the
gospel
is
to
characterize
and
color
and
shape
every
aspect
of
the
gift
if
it
really
is
from
God
could
you
put
up
the
third
prayer
Andrew
I
have
to
race
through
these
I
don't
have
to
but
we'll
go
through
them
quick
dear
Lord
please
make
me
a
disciple
of
Jesus
who
is
gripped
by
the
Jesus
you
teach
to
lead
people
to
Jesus
you
learn
from
Jesus
about
how
to
teach
you
want
to
be
led
by
Jesus
as
you're
reading
the
word
and
the
service
and
the
generosity
what
does
it
profit
to
be
unbelievably
generous
and
all
it
does
is
lead
people
away
from
Jesus
and
Jesus
is
the
source
of
grace
in
our
lives
he
died
for
you
he
died
for
me
it's
because
of him
and
I
don't
have
to
do
these
things
in
such
an
exemplary
way
that
God
will
notice
me
that
I
can
have
a
freedom
of
self
forgetfulness
that
I
can
have
a
freedom
of
no
longer
having
to
justify
myself
because
I've
been
justified
in
Jesus
and
the
final
prayer
if
you
could
put
it
up
please
and
this
is
in
terms
of
these
gifts
so
the
first
danger
of
the
gifts
is
that
we
can
use
them
in
a
way
that's
completely
devoid
of
grace
and
completely
and utterly
devoid
of bringing
people
to
Jesus
and
the
second
one
is
we
won't
even
use
them
at
all
we
use
them
for
our
own
exaltation
dear
Lord
please
make
me
a
disciple
of
Jesus
gripped
by
the
gospel
who
uses
the
gifts
you
have
given
me
for
the
good
of
people
and
for
your
glory
those
of
you
who
are
interested
in
any
of
these
points
they
all
go
on
the
webpage
tomorrow
or
sometime
soon
and
you
can
always
get
them
later
on
if
you
want
let's
just
spend
some
time
with
the
Lord
before
we
go
into
a
time
of
intercession
let's
pray
Father
there's
good
things
about
our
age
that
are
wise
and
beautiful
and
we
can
be
thankful
for
the
prosperity
of
our
city
we
thank
thankful
Father
that
we
have
religious
freedom
we
thank
you
Father
that
it's
pretty
safe
for us
in
this
city
most
of
the
time
and
we
thank
you
for
it
but
Father
in
other
ways
we
know
that
this
age
and
this
city
forms
us
in
ways
that
lead
us
away
from
you
and
in
particular
Father
we
lift
before
you
the
way
that
consumerism
to
love
our
spouse
to
even
have
a
spouse
to
love
our
kids
to
be
committed
to
a
local
church
Father
there's
ways
beyond
our
imagining
that
consumerism
shapes
us
and
we
ask
Father
that
you
would
make
us
disciples
of
Jesus
who
are
gripped
by
the
gospel
and
as
we
are
gripped
by
the
gospel
that
we
will
die
to
consumerism
that
we
will
see
the
world
from
the
perspective
of
the
gospel
and
we
ask
Father
that
you
help
us
to
commit
to
a
local
church
and
its
people
and
we
ask
Father
that
your
Holy
Spirit
would
move
deeply
and
fully
in
our
lives
so
that
whether
we're
teaching
or
serving
or
speaking
or
giving
or
helping
that
everything
Father
will be
driven
by your
Holy
Spirit
driven
by
grace
in a
way
that
is
good
for
people
and
brings
you
glory
Father
we
ask
that
you
would
do
this
wonderful
work
in our
lives
for
your
glory
and
we
ask
it
in
the
name
of
Jesus
Amen