An All-in Sacrifice

Well, if we can turn back to our reading in Romans 12, we're going to look this evening at the beginning of this chapter, verse 1 and 2.

Romans 12, you can read again verse 1 and 2.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Do not be conformed to this world, 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 acceptable and perfect.

We're continuing our theme of sacrifice that we've had last night and this morning already, and coming to think more tonight about how that shows itself in our lives going forward from today.

As we acknowledge today, we have much to give thanks for and what the Lord has done for us, but it doesn't end now.

We take the Lord with us into the week ahead and in all our days ahead, seeking to live for him.

But how are we living for him?

We saw this morning as we were looking in Leviticus chapter 16 in the Day of Atonement that the people were together in that sacrifice.

Leviticus 16 · chapter mention

It was not an individual sacrifice.

The congregation gave that sacrifice as one seeking the Lord's blessing, seeking the forgiveness of their sin.

And that's the idea I want to carry on this evening, that idea of congregation, that idea of being one together.

Because when we think about church, that is what church is.

What is your idea of what church is?

It's been defined maybe in different ways.

Someone put it like this.

Church can be broadly defined as a community of believers who gather together to worship God, study the Bible, and practice their faith.

The church is considered the body of Christ with Jesus as its head.

You see there some of the themes that you read here in Romans 12.

The idea of many members, one body with Christ as the head.

But we think too of what it is for believers, what it is for the people of God.

We gather together to worship God, to study his word, but to practice their faith.

In other words, to live out our faith.

But how does that look?

How do you view church?

How do we do church?

Sometimes church can be viewed as an order, a hierarchy,

where it's looked at kind of from a top-down idea.

But another way of viewing it is that it's a body.

And that's what we have in Romans 12.

A body made up of different parts.

And the difference can be subtle,

but it can make all the difference for us as a congregation of God's people.

Because if we look at it the first way, where there's hierarchy,

we end up with a system of, well, there's something for others to do, but not for me.

I just go along, and I don't actually maybe feel a part of it.

But when we view it as a body, a body with many members,

one body, and Christ as its head,

then you can begin to realize that everybody has a part to play.

That everybody is involved,

from the youngest to the oldest.

You look at the sporting world,

and there can be people who are to the fore in the sporting world.

For example, you take golf.

You may have heard of Rory McIlroy,

one of the best golfers in the world at this moment.

You hear his name, you maybe automatically know who he is, what he's won.

But who's this caddy?

Do you know his name?

Not many people would.

This caddy's called Harry Diamond.

But he's not to the fore, and yet he's just as important.

He's there to help and advise Rory McIlroy.

He's making his way around the course

to encourage him, to keep him focused.

He's just as important.

You think of Formula One.

You think of Lando Norris, the current world champion.

His name can be to the fore.

But who are all his engineers?

Who's his team in the background?

Maybe you know none of their names,

but there are many.

And they're there, and without that team,

without his team of engineers,

and everybody involved in the background,

he wouldn't be a world champion.

And so you see, it's important that,

although you can see that there are people sometimes to the fore,

to be successful is about everyone being involved,

everyone being together.

And that's the same when it comes to church as well.

There can be those people who have specific roles.

You'll know these roles when I mention them.

The minister, the elders, the deacons, the clerks, the treasurer,

church officer, the presenters.

You know, they all have a title and a role,

but it doesn't mean they have a greater sense of importance.

It doesn't mean that they are more important than anybody else.

Because the church is the people coming together,

one in Christ.

Yes, we are individuals with different roles to play,

but we recognize that everyone has a part to play.

And as we've been looking this weekend at the theme of sacrifice,

we've seen it in Leviticus.

And last night we were looking at the chapter 2,

where we saw the grain offering,

and it was that sense of a sacrifice of adoration,

a worship given to God.

Then this morning we were looking at chapter 16 in Leviticus,

where we saw the day of atonement,

an atoning sacrifice made for us,

especially as we see it in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Well, we're continuing that idea of sacrifice this evening,

but seeing how it applies to ourselves.

And here in verse 1 and 2 of Romans is where we find it.

I appeal to you, therefore, brothers,

by the mercies of God,

to present your bodies as a living sacrifice,

holy and acceptable to God,

which is your spiritual worship.

To present your bodies as a living sacrifice.

When you look at Romans,

you see that much of the teaching up until this point,

up to chapter 11,

a lot of it has been about teaching about

the depth of what the Lord has done.

But what does that lead to?

What is our remembrance of the Lord's death today?

Where does it take us tonight?

Where does it take us tomorrow?

How do we live out our lives in light of that?

Romans has a great sense of giving us knowledge up to this point.

Paul's great teaching in Romans.

He said,

you can have all the knowledge,

but now he's saying,

therefore,

in light of all this knowledge,

how are we,

what are you going to do?

How are you going to live?

It is to present your bodies as a living sacrifice.

To live for the Lord.

Somebody wants to pray like this,

knowledge is having the facts,

but wisdom is applying those facts to your life.

And so we are to apply all that we've looked at

over these services this weekend,

and again tonight,

apply it to us,

and ask,

how are we going to live?

How are we going to go forward?

And there's three things in these verses

that I want us to see.

Verse 1 and 2 of Romans.

First of all,

we have the worship of God.

So we continue that theme that we had last night.

We see then there is the wisdom of God.

This is what we need to live,

lives that are sacrificed to God.

And then we see finally the will of God

that we are to seek as we live in this way.

So the first thing is the wisdom,

the worship of God, sorry.

And you see that in the first verse.

The chapter begins with,

therefore,

I appeal to you,

therefore, brothers.

And so,

there's something important here

that we are to see.

So it's not just a case of,

now,

well,

here's what you are to do.

But it's in light of what has been said

up to this point.

Here is what is important

in light of what you've learned.

And up to this point,

it's been about what God has done for us.

What God has done for us.

For example,

in Romans 5,

Romans 5:6

verse 6,

There's so much teaching in that.

While we were still weak,

while we were still in our sin,

at the right time,

in God's time,

Christ died for the ungodly.

God was in control of it all.

Even as he gave his son

to die for our sin,

it was at the right time,

God's time,

his way.

And that's what we've remembered today.

What we've been part of

if you were sitting at the Lord's table

or if you were observing the Lord's table,

remembering the Lord's death

until he come.

But now we're asking,

how are we going to live going forward

from here?

How are we going to live going forward?

And it's like Paul is here,

a survey of what was done.

When he says,

I appeal to you therefore,

brothers,

in light of the mercies of God.

Looking at the mercies of God,

as we survey the mercies of God,

how are we going to go forward?

What difference is that going to make

in your life?

What difference is it going to make

in my life?

The hymn writer said,

When I survey the wondrous cross

on which the prince of glory died,

my riches gain,

I count but loss

and pour contempt

on all my pride.

Maybe you came here this morning

with that pride in your heart,

boasting in self,

confident in self.

But when we survey the cross,

the wondrous cross,

when we survey all that the Lord

has done for us,

that pours contempt.

That puts our pride down.

That humbles us

because we realize

that we owe everything to him.

So it's in light

by the mercies of God.

And as you're reading through

the book of Romans,

you see the mercies of God

that are so many.

That God's mercies

is from eternity

and to eternity

without beginning

and without end.

You see it

in his electing his people,

his choosing of his people,

in his saving of his people,

in his transforming of his people,

in his justifying of his people,

in his keeping of his people.

You see it so many ways

as you're reading through Romans.

The mercies of God.

Even as we think back to Leviticus,

you see the mercies of God there,

that he didn't give them

what their sin deserved.

But there was mercy.

There was hope given to them

through sacrificing to God.

And his mercy is more

than we could ever imagine.

And so therefore,

as Paul is saying here,

I appeal to you,

brothers,

by the mercies of God

to present your bodies

as a living sacrifice,

your spiritual worship,

to live for him.

And there's a subtle difference

I want you to see here as well

between Leviticus

and how Paul writes here.

When you're looking in Leviticus,

we were seeing

Moses giving commands,

God's commands

coming through Moses.

And it was very much

a sense of the law.

This is what you are to do.

You must do this.

There is a danger in that

where it becomes

a sense of legalism.

And we can easily

fall into that trap.

Well, if we do this,

we'll be right.

With no idea

why we're doing it

or how we're doing it.

We're just doing it

for the sake of doing it.

But as Paul says,

he says,

I appeal to you.

I urge you.

I encourage you.

It's no less important.

But there's a subtle difference.

It's to be done

in light of the mercies of God.

In light of the grace of God.

In recognition of all

that has been done.

So it's not just

a sense of obligation

or duty

that you present your body

as a living sacrifice.

This is what I have to do.

It's more,

this is what I want to do.

This is what I long to do.

This is what I love to do.

Because of the mercies of God.

Because of all that

he has done for me.

As we look at the cross.

As we see what Christ has done.

Does that not lead us

to worship?

To lead us to present

our bodies

as a living sacrifice.

To do all for him.

Are we worshipping

as we should?

What is worship?

Well, you see it

at the end of chapter 11

in verse 33 to 36.

And it's there speaking about

to him be glory forever.

But at the last verse there,

verse 36.

It's a sense of giving glory

to God.

Giving praise.

Giving worship to God.

But then as you come into

chapter 12,

verse 1.

This worship requires

service.

The worship that he speaks of there,

your spiritual worship,

is acts of service.

Presenting your bodies

as living sacrifices

is acts of service.

It's very much tied in

that idea with

the priests in Leviticus,

how they were serving

God at the altar.

We are to be a people

who are serving God

in our lives.

And presenting our bodies

as a living sacrifice,

it maybe makes you think

there must be pain

involved in this.

Because we've looked at

sacrifice last night

and this morning.

And it so often means

death.

Dying in sacrifice.

Blood is shed.

the flesh is burnt.

But then you notice

the difference here

between what Paul

is saying here

and what we have

in the Old Testament.

The difference is

that in the Old Testament

the people were called

to give their sacrifice

to give it over to death.

But we are to offer up

our bodies

as a living sacrifice.

So it's ongoing.

Now there is that sense

of this sacrifice

is costly.

The sacrifice

is painful.

There's challenges

in it.

It's personal.

It's necessary.

And all of these things

it'll be hard.

But we should love

to do it

in light of the

mercies

of God.

We are to give

ourselves

over to Him.

Our worship

is not just

a few hours

in here

on a Sunday.

Our worship

goes on

as a living sacrifice

tomorrow

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

every day

of the week.

We love Him

so we are to serve Him.

We love Him

so we are to live

our lives

in that way

of honouring Him

in all

that we do.

Our lives

are to be a living sacrifice

in the sense of

our worship

goes on

day

after day.

And the second thing

we see

goes on in the light

of the wisdom

of God.

Because you look at it

here in verse 2

where it says

do not be conformed

to this world

but be transformed

by the renewal

of your mind.

So there's to be

a change

and to be

a living sacrifice

we need

this change

we need

this wisdom

of God.

Where does

your wisdom

come from

tonight?

What are you

basing

your life

upon?

What wisdom

is it from

the world

and the thoughts

that are around you

within this world?

Well how is that

working out

for you?

Are you happy?

Are you happy

being conformed

to the ways

of this world?

When you're

conformed

to the ways

of the world

what does it mean?

When you're young

there's so much

pressure

to be conformed

to the ways

of the world.

To be those

who go out

for a drink.

to be those

who take

this drug.

To be those

who turn away

from God.

You don't need

him.

You don't need

church.

There's all

of these ideas

that will be

thrown at you

to be conformed

to the ways

of the world.

But what Paul

is saying here

is

wisdom is found

not there.

Do not be

conformed

to the world

but be

transformed

by the renewal

of your mind.

To allow

God in.

To see the

wisdom of God

in his word.

To see that this

is not something

for old people

or something

for a past

generation.

That this word

is for every

one of us

today

and every

day.

Have you

made mistakes?

Of course

you have.

I have.

You have.

We all have.

But have we

learned from

our mistakes?

Or are we

continuing to

be conformed

in the ways

of the world?

As we go

on in life

we gain

experience in

life in many

different ways.

And experience

comes in

what we have

done.

In what we've

maybe achieved

but also

sometimes in

what we've

failed in

as well.

Wisdom

comes from

learning from

what we have

done badly

often.

From what we

know is wrong.

But if we

keep on doing

it that's not

wisdom.

That's what

Paul is saying

do not be

conformed to

this world.

Do not carry

on in this

way.

Instead find

your wisdom

with God.

As Proverbs

3 says

verse 5 to

7

trust in the

Lord with

all your

heart.

Do not

lean on

your own

understanding.

In all

your ways

acknowledge

him and

he will

make

straight

your

paths.

Be not

wise in

your own

eyes.

Fear the

Lord and

turn away

from evil.

It is a

challenge to

us.

Where are we

finding our

wisdom?

We're to

find our

wisdom in

God and

in his

word and

to search

after that.

Be wise

not in

your own

eyes.

Fear the

Lord and

turn away

from evil.

We live in

a world that

is always

trying to

shape us.

To mold

us.

That's what

the word

there conformed

means.

It's talking

about molding

us.

A mold is

something that

can mass

produce the

same thing

again and

again and

again.

And that

is what the

world does.

It molds

us.

It shapes

us into

our sin

over and

over and

over again

because it

leads us

away from

God.

It molds

us into

thinking in

a particular

way that

goes against

everything that

God is

saying.

But we

are to be

different.

We are to

present our

lives as

living sacrifices,

not being

conformed to

this world,

but by

being

transformed,

transformed by

the renewal

of your

minds.

So don't

allow the

world to

squeeze you

into a

particular way,

a particular

way of

living that

is apart

from him,

but instead

come and

see the

importance of

the word of

God and be

transformed by

it.

in 2

2 Corinthians 3 · chapter mention

Corinthians

chapter 3,

Paul uses

that image

again of

being

transformed.

How does

renewal take

place?

We are all

with unveiled

faces beholding

the glory of

the Lord and

are being

transformed into

the same image

from one

degree of

glory to

another.

How do you

get transformed?

you gaze

longingly

on the

loveliness of

Christ,

on the

beauty of

Christ.

You make

him your

study.

You make

him your

delight.

You make

him that

point of

worship

constantly

going forward

day by

day loving

him.

And the

word here

for transformed

is about a

complete change

taking place.

It's a word

used for when

a caterpillar

becomes a

butterfly.

That

transformation

takes place

the same

creature but

in a very

different way

being seen.

The

caterpillar

goes into

the cocoon

and it

emerges then

as a

butterfly.

Completely

transformed.

And we

have that

image of

God in

us.

because we

are made

in his

image.

But we

so often

shun that.

We don't

live for

him.

But we

are to be

transformed

by the

renewal

of our

minds.

By allowing

Christ into

our hearts.

As Paul

again says

in Philippians

have this

mind among

yourselves

which is

yours in

Christ Jesus

who though

he was in

the form

of God

did not

count equality

with God

a thing

to be

grasped

but made

himself

nothing.

Taking the

form of

a servant

being born

in the

likeness of

men and

being found

in human

form he

humbled

himself by

becoming

obedient to

the point

of death

even death

on a

cross.

He gave

himself

and we

are to be

transformed

by him

and for

him.

By

surrendering

ourselves

to God

by filling

our mind

with the

word of

God

by finding

the wisdom

of God.

That is

how we

are to

live

as a

people

who are

living

presenting

our bodies

as a

living

sacrifice

through the

wisdom

of God.

So we

have the

worship

of God

we have

the wisdom

of God

and it

leads there

to the

third thing

that we

have

the will

of God

that by

testing you

may discern

what is

the will

of God

what is

good

and

acceptable

and

perfect.

When it

comes to

the will

of God

where do

you start?

What do

you think

of the

will

of God?

Are you

saying to

yourself

well I

want to

know

the will

of God

in my

life?

Well

this is

point number

three

but it's

probably

the place

where most

would start

but what

you find

is that

when there

is no

worship

when there

is no

seeking

the wisdom

of God

then we

cannot really

know the

will

of God

because

the more

we worship

God

aright

the more

we are

unable

to know

the wisdom

of God

the more

we will

see the

will

of God

in our

lives.

Too often

maybe our

worship

is like a

car

that's

misfiring.

If you've

ever driven

a car

and you know

there's

something

wrong

with the

engine

it starts

sputtering

and just

stalling

now and

again

you know

it's not

right.

There's a

misfire

in it

there's

something

wrong

it needs

to be

fixed.

That's

very often

maybe the

way our

worship

is.

It's

spluttering

it's

misfiring

it's

not running

as it

should

and instead

of worship

taking us

where we're

meant to

be

we're

breaking

down

somewhere

along

the way

but when

our worship

is right

it leads

us in the

right way

it's

like the

car that

is running

smoothly

we're

making good

progress

we're going

along

the way

and when

our worship

is right

it leads

us into

the will

of God

and seeking

after the

will of

God

what is

good

and

acceptable

and

perfect

all of

these things

that we see

working out

when we are

living a life

right

with God

but what

is your

prayer

when it

comes

to the

will

of

God

we were

just

talking

briefly

in the

table

in the

manse

earlier

on

how

when it

comes to

the will

of God

sometimes

our prayer

could be

along the

lines of

let my

will

be done

instead

of Lord

let your

will

be done

too

often

we

may

come

to

God

saying

this

is

what

I

want

you

to

do

instead

of

Lord

what

will

you

have

me

to

do

and

presenting

our

lives

as a

living

sacrifice

it's

not

coming

to

God

saying

this

is

what

I'll

do

for

you

but

it's

to

be

a

sense

of

what

you

want

me

to

do

for

you

show

me

your

will

show

me

your

ways

but

when

our

worship

is

right

we

find

that

we

fall

into

the

will

of

God

more

readily

and

we

see

the

will

of

God

as

a

precious

thing

although

it

can

be

hard

at

times

the

will

of

God

for

us

in

the

places

that

he

takes

us

in

the

situations

in

personal

circumstances

in

all

of

these

ways

the

will

of

God

can

be

hard

but

yet

when

you

are

in

the

will

of

God

and

you

know

that

you

are

there

with

him

with

you

it

is

precious

because

anywhere

else

would

not

be

right

so

have

you

come

in

your

life

to

that

place

where

you

are

able

to

say

take

my

life

and

let

it

be

consecrated

Lord

to

thee

take

my

life

take

my

all

take

everything

and let

it be

consecrated

let it

be

given

to

you

let it

be

yours

Lord

to

do

as

you

please

that

is

what

it

means

to

give

our

bodies

as

a

living

sacrifice

God

God

we

surrender

ourselves

to

the

will

of

God

or

else

we

suffer

or

else

we

are

going

in

our

own

wisdom

and

that

is

not

how

we

are

to

live

a

life

that's

a

living

sacrifice

to

God

we

also

have

to

see

that

the

will

of

God

is

perfect

somebody

put it

like

this

nothing

we

could

add

to

God's

plan

would

improve

it

when

he

reveals

his

will

to

us

we

need

to

realize

that

God

sees

the

end

of

the

matter

before

the

matter

begins

he

knows

the

path

we

will

take

he

knows

the

obstacles

and

valleys

we

will

pass

through

as

we

go

he

knows

where

the

provisions

are

that

he

has

already

placed

along

the

way

his

plan

cannot

be

improved

upon

but

it

must

be

followed

for

there

to

be

victory

and

blessing

we

can

be

in

no

better

place

than

the

perfect

will

of

God

for

our

lives

there

is

nothing

better

than

to

be

in

the

will

of

God

and

to

find

ourselves

in

the

will

of

God

is

to

worship

God

aright

and

to

seek

his

wisdom

and

then

these

other

things

will

fall

into

place

the

will

of

God

that

is

good

and

acceptable

and

perfect

and

we

will

be

content

when

we

are

with

him

because

out

of

God's

will

is

an

awful

place

to

be

away

from

God

is

an

awful

place

to

be

that's

what

we

were

thinking

of

this

morning

with

the

scapegoat

our

sins

are

taken

into

the

wilderness

what

we

deserve

that

away

from

God

but

as

we

worship

as

we

seek

his

wisdom

as

we

look

to

his

will

we

find

a

God

who

is

with

us

a

God

who

never

leaves

us

or

forsakes

us

that

was a

hope

they

had

in

Leviticus

that

as

they

worshipped

God

as

they

offered

up

their

sacrifice

that

God

would

be

in

the

midst

to

bless

what

of

ourselves

this

evening

as

we

come

away

as

a

congregation

of

God's

people

are we

seeing

that we

are members

of

one

body

with

Christ

as

the

head

and

are we

seeking

to present

our

bodies

as a

living

sacrifice

to

him

in

light

of

his

mercies

in

light

of

all

that

he

has

done

for

us

how

are we

going

from

here

this

evening

will

we

not

go

in

that

way

the

sacrifice

that

he

has

made

for

us

should

lead

for

us

to

give

an

all

in

sacrifice

for

him

that

we

would

go

on

in

his

strength

that

we

would

go

forward

seeking

his

blessing

worshipping

our

right

living

by

his

wisdom

not

conformed

to

the

ways

of

this

world

but

transformed

and

seeking

his

will

which

is

good

and

acceptable

and

perfect

let

us

pray

Lord

our

gracious

God

we

do

thank

you

that

you

are

a

God

who

is

with

us

at

all

times

you

are

one

who

never

leaves

or

forsakes

his

people

though

you

can

rebuke

us

Lord

you

do

not

cast

us

away

and

we

thank

you

Lord

that

you

give

us

your

word

you

give

us

your

truth

you

give

it

for

our

instruction

for

our

knowledge

of

who

you

are

but

you

give

it

for

our

living

as

well

and

how

we

are

to

live

for

you

and

by

of

the

mercies

that

you

have

shown

to

us

may

you

enrich

us

through

all

of

these

things

may

you

build

us

up

may

you

go

with

us

in

all

the

days

ahead

that

we

would

know

your

peace

upon

us

we

ask

it

all

with

the

forgiveness

of

our

sin

in

Jesus

name

Amen

we're

going to

conclude

by

singing

to

God's

praise

in

Psalm

85

sing

psalm's

version

on

page

113

we're

going to

sing

from

verse

1

to

verse

7