|
DATE |
CHURCH |
SUBJECT |
PREACHER |
BIBLE
REF. |
|
24.08.08 |
All Saints Church |
Living for God |
Tony Higton |
Romans 12:1-8 |
|
You will stand before God
alone one day, to give account of your life. What will have
been the dominant motive of your way of life - pleasing
yourself, pleasing others or pleasing God? Paul challenges us
to live a life which pleases God and benefits other people.
Firstly, he urges us
To live
sacrificially
He writes: “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” (verse 1).
The incentive for doing this
is God’s mercy. Through the blood of Christ God has accepted us
in time and in eternity, even though we don’t deserve it.
Despite our wilful disobedience at times, he forgives us and
restores us. Although we do not deserve his blessings, he still
blesses us. In view of all this mercy we should offer our bodies
to God as a living sacrifice.
We are called to live to
God, to be dominated by loving God. In fact, or lives are to be
lives of worship, like incense ascending to God with a pleasing
scent.
We should do nothing we
cannot offer to God. Our obedience and our worship should
primarily be to honour and glorify him.
Secondly, Paul urges us
To act
differently
He writes: “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”
(verse 2).
We are not to conform to
worldly attitudes. This means not living for this world only,
which is a very shortsighted approach. Rather we should live in
the light of eternity.
It means not living without
penitence or ultimate accountability. Rather we must always
remember that God sees all we think, say and do and will call us
to account for it.
It means not keeping God in
a box, marked “In an emergency break the silence.” Rather we
should “pray without ceasing.” This will include adoration,
thanksgiving and confession, as well as petition. Our lives
should be lived in conscious recognition of the constant
presence of God with us. What matters most is enjoying and
cultivating our personal relationship with God. A main way of
doing this is to pray regularly.
It means not living just for
pleasure and entertainment. We are called to give ourselves
sacrificially and to expect suffering and persecution.
It means avoiding the love
of money which is the root of all evil. Anxiety, materialism and
greed all draw us into the love of money, and, as we have seen
in recent days, this leads to problems, even disaster.
We are called to be
transformed by the renewing of our minds. Think differently.
Have your mind literally changed by:
Prayer:
It is often said that prayer changes things. Well
prayer changes us too. It brings us more into harmony with the
thinking of God.
Scripture:
Similarly, immersing ourselves in the divinely-inspired Word of
God aligns our minds with the mind of God.
Worship:
Meditating on God, his awesome greatness and infinite love,
gives us a divine sense of perspective on life, the universe and
everything.
Seeking guidance:
Asking for God’s wisdom and specific guidance
opens our hearts and minds to the influence of the Holy Spirit
and we begin to think God’s thoughts after him.
Thirdly, Paul urges us:
To serve
gladly
He writes: “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” (verse 3).
Here Paul is encouraging us
to develop a “servant heart” – a willingness to serve others.
He says we should base our self assessment on how much we trust
God. In the Christian Faith greatness is dependence. The great
saint is someone who depends on God more than average.
Paul continues: “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” (verses 4-8).
So we are to use our
God-given gifts in service of God, the church, others. There are
many different gifts. In fact, the church is a body with a
variety of differently-gifted members. Gifts include
-
Prophesying: inspired preach which
encourages, builds up and corrects the people of God.
-
Serving: a ready willingness to serve the
needs of others.
-
Teaching
-
Encouraging
-
Contributing: a ready willingness to help
others financially
-
Leading: inspired leadership
-
Showing mercy: a readiness to help those who,
humanly-speaking, have forfeited help.
Conclusion
Are you living to God?
Are you otherworldly?
Are you using your gifts? |
