LIMAVADY INDEPENDENT METHODIST CHURCH
SERMON NOTES FROM SUNDAY 23 MAY 2021
ROMANS 12
In Romans chapter 12 the apostle Paul is leaving behind a doctrinal section. Up to now he has been talking about all the things we believe. Chapter 12 moves to a practical position. Paul tells the people to look back on all the things God has done for you and as you move forward put them into practice. Look at verse 2 - the apostle Paul is moving on.
Check for dangers. Totally surrender our life to him, holding nothing back to come before him, to say 'here am I.' Just like Isaiah in chapter 6. God spoke to Isaiah in the temple "whom will I send and who will go for us?" Isaiah said to the Lord "send me." As we sit here today have we ever said "here am I, I want to give you my life, my all, I give to you the entirety of my life." Someone once said "it is not a prayer ground but a battle ground." Remember the day when you heard the gospel of saving grace and bowed your knees at the foot of the cross, when you realised the sinless son of God was dying for your sin to pay the price of your sin. You were redeemed by his precious blood. Now you have come to that stage Paul says where you must surrender your life. From the moment you trust Christ as Saviour you make a real enemy, the devil himself. He will dog your tracks from the moment you leave the cross until you leave this scene of time. One of the greatest dangers is apathy, carelessness, coldness. The Laodicean church in Revelation was lukewarm. They were neither hot nor cold but the Lord was on the outside and he couldn't get in. There was apathy in the church. Romans 12 speaks of unreserved commitment to Christ. We need to come and offer ourselves as a living sacrifice unto God, give him your all. Notice the word "and" - "and be not conformed to this world." The word for "world" is not the Greek word "cosmos" but another and refers to the fashions and customs of that day. The danger was that Christians would be taken by the spirit of that day - "walk according to the course of this world." The devil wants to get us to conform to the world. Think of Demas. Paul said of him that he was a fellow labourer. He walked, talked and travelled with Paul. There were times of great prayer and preaching. "Demas has forsaken me having loved this present world." He began to compare his life with that of others. It was a difficult life, travelling here and there, putting up with hardships. Remember Lot in Genesis 13. A young man under the godly influence of an uncle, Abraham. He adopted him because his father had died. God came to Abraham and told him to leave his country, family and friends. He was told he would be given a great land. Can you see Abraham telling his family about what God had told him. Lot followed after him. He became very rich and it led to a conflict between the herdsmen of Abraham and Lot's. Abraham comes to Lot and tells him it was not good that there was strife. He told Lot that they would divide the land and gave him the choice of which land he wanted. Lot lifted up his eyes towards Sodom. It was well watered and fertile. He looked and thought it was good. Lot not only looked toward Sodom, he took his tent and pitched it toward Sodom. "The men of Sodom were great sinners." Lot was pitching his tent toward Sodom then we soon find him living in Sodom, ruling in Sodom. When God came with a warning to him and his family he was reluctant to leave Sodom. It is so easy to be duped into that religiousity. To think you will make an improvement and help that situation. All that happens is you are brought down. This man Lot in Genesis 18 when the angels came and told of the destruction of Sodom, was very reluctant to leave that place. He goes back to his family and tells of the destruction that would happen. His family have watched him all these years - their reaction was to laugh at him. He had got so accustomed with the world he was living in. He lost his testimony.
There is a consecration now to the decision. How can we guard the mind - by being in God's word and presence. 1 Peter 1 verse 13 "wherefore gird up the loins of your mind and be sober." The people Peter wrote to those who had to flee because of persecution. Peter wrote to them and said "don't get involved with the habits of the land you are in." 1 Peter 2 "desire the sincere milk of the word of God that you might grow." Renewing means changing habits to fit in with God's word. When Paul speaks of the word transforming it is the idea of breaking of habits and putting on another habit. When the children of Israel came into the land of Canaan Moses warned them that there were people living in Canaan but they were not to take up their lifestyle. The devil is very subtle and ready to bring us down. The process must start from within. In 2 Timothy Paul talks about the last days "having a form of godliness but denying th power thereof from such turn away." A cloak of religiousity. Paul tells them it must begin in the mind "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." We feed the mind in the word of God and in the presence of God. That is where we come to for the renewing of our minds. Remember the city of Berea. Paul preached in that city, they listened intently, received the word of God gladly and when they returned to their homes took down the word of God and searched to find what Paul had said was true.
The confidence he now has in the direction. Ultimately we need to do the will of God. we cannot do that if we are so taken up with what the world dictates. Saul of Tarsus was a young religious Jew who was inspired by the religious world around him. He had one purpose - to destroy all the churches he could come across, to arrest every Christian. That was his mindset and it was totally changed on the Damascus road. God spoke to Ananias "go and find Saul of Tarsus, behold he prayeth." He was ready for the work of God. Acts 9 verse 15 "this man is a chosen vessel unto me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will shew him how great thngs he must suffer for my name's sake." Paul later said to King Agrippa "whereupon I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision." He knew the will of God. It is so important today that we see what the will of God is in our lives.
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