A living sacrifice

LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH

SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 16 MAY 2021

ROMANS 12

J B Philips translation of Romans chapter 12 verses 1 and 2 "With eyes wide open to the mercies of God I beg you my brothers as an act of intelligent worship to give him your bodies as a living sacrifice consecrated to him and acceptable by him.  Don't let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould but let God remould your minds from within so that you may prove in practice that the plan of God for you is good, meets all his demands and moves towards the goal of direct maturity."

We have been thinking in recent weeks of the big decisions that we make.  Paul says here "I beg of you that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice."  That is a decision only you and I can take.  If we come to present out bodies we need to be careful.  If we read the bible and take it as a measure we come to a difficult decision.  Think of Joshua in the Old Testament when he led the children of Israel into the promised land.  He told them "if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord choose."  Joshua is speaking to a people who came to a fork in the road.  We have a decision to make spiritually speaking as well.  Joshua realised the decision that needed to be made "choose you this day whom you will serve."  There is an urgency in this choice.  There is the brevity of life.  We have come into this day but we don't know if we will see the end of this day.  These are people who were brought out of Egypt and are now come into Canaan.  Joshua was bringing them to this decision.  Remember Pilate in the presence of Christ.  The people were crying out for Jesus' blood.  Pilate could not find anything to condemn Jesus to death "I find no fault in this man."  The crowd shouted "crucify him".  Pilate looked at Barabbas who should have been put to death.  He looks to the crowd and asks "whom then will you choose?"  They cried for Barabbas to be set free and for Jesus to be crucified.  Pilate asked again "what shall I do with this man Jesus?"  Have we ever come to that point in our lives when we asked 'what am I going to do with Jesus?'  When he came into the world he was rejected of man, hung on the old rugged cross that you might be saved - what does God want you to do with Jesus today?  He wants me to bring my sin and lay it at his feet and take the Lord Jesus for myself.  John 3 verse 16.  There is one channel for everlasting life and his name is Jesus.  What then shall I do with Jesus? Take him as Saviour and Lord?  What does the Lord require of me today?  In the Old Testament in Micah we read "what doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly, and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God." (Micah 6 verse 8)

The attention Paul calls for.  Paul asks us to take the scriptures, the word of God as they are.  He could see a great coldness in the church.  He is telling the people to face up to their responsibilities.  Chapter 12 comes with a great challenge.  Chapters 1 to 11 deal with doctrines but in this chapter Paul moves into a practical application.  This is stepping aside to the saving power of God.  This is stepping aside to the sanctified power of God.  How will we live practically?  He told the Philippian believers "work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.  For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure." (Philippians 2 verses 12 and 13)  Salvation is not something earned or get after doing the best we can.  It comes the moment we trust the Lord.  Now you must work that salvation in you.  There is a salvation of good works that has to be worked out in our lives.  Paul sets the foundation of the Christian and now he sets to build the framework.  No matter how the house looks that framework is of no use unless it has good foundations to be built on.  In our Christian lives if we try to live without foundations it will be of no use whatsoever.  That is why Paul says in verse 2 that we are not to be just hearers of the word but doers also.  We are not saved by what we give, we are saved by what we receive.  This backs up what James says "But be ye doers of the word and not hearers only deceiving your own selves." (James 1 verse 22)  Spurgeon used the illustration of 2 friends.  One was called Donald who was in a church service one day.  As he walked out he met his friend Sandy who asked him "is the sermon all done?"  Donald looked at him and said "no it is said but it is not begun to be done yet."  He had heard the message but now he needed to live out that message.  That is what we need to do today.  We need to apply the word of God now.  We have to live it out in our lives.

The acknowledgement that Paul alludes to.  "by the mercies of God."  Paul is calling the believers to listen and react not on his intellectual ability.  He is challenging them on the basis of what God has done.  Do we really ponder what God has done for us?  What are these mercies Paul is bringing to their attention?  In chapter 1 it is the gospel.  In chapter 2 it is the goodness of God.  In chapter 3 it is the fact that all have sinned.  In chapter 6 it is the separation from God because of sin.  Then he talks about justification and condemnation.  Now he is saying because of these mercies that word must take effect in our lives.  Think of the word of God and what it is saying.  James says "lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness and receive with meekness the engrafted word which is able to save your souls." (James 1 verse 21)  We need to receive it.  We need to get ready to put into practice what we have heard in light of what God has done for us.  We are called to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice.  Think of the head of the Moravian church who when he had looked at the portrait of Christ hanging on Calvary and the caption on the picture 'all this have I done for you, what have you done for me?'  What have you done for the Lord this past week?

The appreciation to be shown.  Can you and I apply ourselves today?  If the Lord has done this for us what am I going to do for him?  The Lord asks you to offer your life as a sacrifice unto God.  When I think of the day when I will stand in glory to give an account of my life, when I will look into the face of God will I say 'I am sorry, when I weighed up everything you did for me I couldn't give you my all, I couldn't trust you.'  Wouldn't it be awful to say that?  Today we have an opportunity to give our all to God.  When the lamb was brought to the altar and placed there everything was burnt.  God is asking for you and me to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice.  We have to give our all and no more.  We cannot choose where we want to serve the Lord.  Nothing is beneath us in God's service.  We offer ourselves to God and then we allow him to show us what he wants us to do.  What God calls for today is to give our all to him and he will show us what he wants us to do.  In 2 Corinthians 8  there is a lovely thought of the church in Macedonia giving gifts.  Paul is collecting money for Christians around Jerusalem.  Some were suffering because of a famine.  These people had taken up an offering even though they hadn't very much themselves (verse 1).  In verses 2 to 4 we read "How that in  great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded unto the riches of their liberality.  For to their power, I bear record, yea, and beyond their power they were willing of themselves; Praying us with much intreaty that we would receive the gift and take upon us the fellowship of the ministering to the saints."  The little church didn't have much but they did what they could.  Paul didn't want to take the offering from them because he felt they had more need of it themselves.  "And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord and unto us by the will of God."  They pleaded with Paul and they gave themselves first and foremost to the Lord.  Then they asked the Lord 'what shall we give?'  They were giving of themselves.  One day a man who lived on the streets was in a service.  He heard the message and when it came time for the offering plate to be passed around he knew he didn't have a penny in his pocket.  The service so touched him that God opened his ears.  When the offering plate came to where he was he took it out of the hands of the stewards and set it in the middle of the aisle, then he stepped into the plate himself - he wanted to give his all to the Lord.  That is what Paul is saying today.  Have we ever done that?  We are talking here of sanctified power.  What God has done for us and what he expects of us.  In Acts 5 we read of Ananias and Sapphira.  They were quite a wealthy couple.  At that time in the church if there was a need and if someone had a piece of ground they sold it and the money was given to the apostles who would give to those in need.  Ananias and Sapphira did that but kept some of the money back.  God took them out because they didn't give their all.  God did not ask them to give anything but they wanted to become involved.  Greed took over and they held back.  The little boy in the gospels with the 5 loaves and 2 fishes was asked by Andrew to give it to the Lord.  He gave everything, he held nothing back.

The acceptance that is found.  The Lord will not turn us away.  We are saying today 'here am I, I want to give you my all, not just to be in attendance on a Sunday morning or evening in church but to give my whole life to you, use me in whatever way seems fit.'  What about it today?  Are we ready to step out and say 'here am I Lord'?  Or is it too much to ask to give ourselves entirely?