2017 Christian

11 starting at verse 33.

Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!

How unsearchable his judgments and his paths beyond tracing out!

Who has known the mind of the Lord?

Or who has ever been his counsellor?

Who has ever given to God that God should repay him?

For from him and through him and to him are all things.

To him be the glory forever. Amen.

Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, 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.

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.

Father, thank you for your word, for its truth.

Father, thank you for your word.

And we humbly submit to that truth right now.

Asking that your word would indeed shape us,

shape our minds and our hearts,

mould us and fashion us,

so that we are people who follow not our own hearts' desires,

but seek to do your will.

Father, we pray for Michael that he would know your spirit at work through him

and your spirit amongst us,

so that as we listen,

we would indeed all be transformed

and changed.

We pray this in your name.

Amen.

Well, happy new year to you all.

It's not too late to wish you a happy new year.

But as I look around the congregation this morning,

I see that there were one or two of you here this morning

that were also in Middleton last week when I was preaching.

So if you've heard this message before,

is going to be underlined for you today.

And if you didn't take notice of it last week,

I pray that you'll take notice of it this week

and that we'll all be blessed together

as we consider God's word.

We're going to be looking at,

in particular,

Romans chapter 12 and verses 1 and 2.

Romans 12 · chapter mention

Last week I began,

as I'm going to begin this week,

what can we expect in 2017?

Well, we know certain things, don't we?

Things that are very, very obvious

and some things that were laid out

a long time ago.

We know that the church of the Lord Jesus Christ

will continue to grow

because no one ever ceases to be a member

of the church of Christ,

not even in death.

So we do know that the number,

the no man can number,

will continue to be made up

during 2017.

We also know from Scripture

that there will be wars

and rumours of wars.

We can expect that.

Nothing will change.

And as a result,

there will be refugees,

there will be famines.

And to sort it all out,

we have Donald Trump

becoming president

in the States.

What a great thing to look forward to.

Well, we also have the consequences

of Brexit,

what that will mean,

and what it will mean

for each one of us

as individuals.

Some of us, perhaps,

will be sitting on a leaving cert,

entering new jobs.

Perhaps some of us

will be made redundant.

Some of us will get

a better rise

in our wages.

Some of us

might face bankruptcy.

Who knows?

Some of us with good health

through the coming year.

Some

may have sickness.

Some may be getting married.

Some may be having children.

All of these things

will happen in the year

that lies ahead.

They're there for us.

And we know that

for us as believers

there will be difficulties

to encounter

because we know,

again from Scripture,

that in this world

there will be tribulation.

But how are you and I

to face the new year

as Christians?

How are we to go forward

into the months

that lie ahead?

Well, we're to go forward

as God's people,

never forgetting for a moment

that we are God's people,

that we have been bought

with a price

and that price

is the precious blood

of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And I would urge you

as you go through

the year that lies ahead

to view the coming year

with a mind

that is in tune

with Romans chapter 12

Romans 12 · chapter mention

and verses 1 and 2.

It's an opportunity for us

to live as Christians

before a watching world

as those that are indeed

living sacrifices.

And I want us to just look

at these two verses

under three headings.

It's been emphasized

already

that we are a people

that have received mercy.

And the Apostle Paul

here makes his appeal

to the believers at Rome

and to us today

to live our lives

in the light of the mercy

that we have received.

You notice that verse 12,

verse 1 of chapter 12 of Romans

begins with a therefore.

And as somebody has pointed out

that it is there for a reason.

It is there to tell us

that Paul has already brought before us

the glories of the gospel.

He breaks out an appeal of praise

as he reflects on that gospel

in verse 33 of the previous chapter.

But he's been expounding the gospel.

He's been explaining

what the gospel is.

And saying that as a result

of this gospel

that they have received,

that there is a therefore.

There are certain consequences.

So if we have accepted

the truth of the gospel

this morning,

we can no longer live

to please self.

We must be a people

that are ready

to offer ourselves to God

totally and utterly.

Those who have received

the revelation,

that is the truth of the gospel,

must always be ready

to act upon it.

We are saved

to serve.

Each one of us.

The gospel

is about the mercy

that we have received

from God.

Mercy comes

from Him.

Where do we hear

about this mercy?

We hear about it

in the gospel.

If you go back

to Romans chapter 1

Romans 1 · chapter mention

and verse 1,

Paul refers to it

as the gospel of God.

It comes from God.

He's the initiator

of the gospel.

Or, if you like,

the architect

of the gospel.

The gospel is not

something new.

It is something

that was announced

on the pages

of the Old Testament.

Whether God promised

a Savior

who would come

into the world,

His very own Son.

The gospel of God

tells us

that God

sent His Son

into the world.

Truly God.

But born of a woman,

of the tribe of David,

truly man.

And through the death

of this God-man,

through His death

and through His resurrection,

salvation would come

into the world.

Or to put it another way,

God the Father

would send His Son

that mercy

might be shown

to you and I.

So notice

our text

again this morning.

Therefore,

says the apostle,

I urge you,

brothers,

in view

of God's

mercy

to offer

your bodies

as living

sacrifices.

Well,

what is the mercy

that you

and I

have been shown?

What does

the gospel

of God

tell us

of this mercy?

Well,

we can't possibly

go through

all of Romans.

Every page

tells us

something

of the mercy

of God.

But let me highlight

just one or two ways

in which God

has been

merciful

to you

and to I

and myself.

He has

shown

mercy to us

as

sinners.

The overriding

truth

is that God

has been

merciful

to you

and to me.

That's the very

heart

of the gospel.

Each of us

here this morning

was born

in sin.

Each of us

was under

the wrath

of God.

The apostle Paul

tells us that

in Romans 1

and verse 18.

And he continues

right through

to chapter 3

and verse 20

to show

that man,

whether he's

Jew

or whether

he's Gentile,

is under

the wrath

of an almighty

God.

All of us

left to ourselves

would end up

in a lost

eternity

in a place

called hell.

Paul reaches

a conclusion

in chapter 3

and verse 10

that there is

none righteous,

not even

one.

one.

You see,

each one

of us

are steeped

in sin,

naturally

speaking.

But God

has shown

mercy

to us.

And so

if we're

Christians

this morning,

it is because

God has shown

mercy to you

and to me.

As sinners,

we have been

saved by the

grace of God.

God.

Now let's

remember

who is

writing

this particular

letter.

It is not

just any

person.

This is the

apostle of

God.

This is one

who was

chosen by

God to

bring us

God's

truth.

And he's

writing from

a perspective

not only of

us as an

apostle bringing

the truth of

God to us,

he's writing

this letter

as one

who has

himself

been shown

mercy.

We know

something of

the story of

the apostle,

of course,

how he was

on the road

to Damascus,

how he was

ready to put

Christians in

prison,

and earlier

he had been

present and

had raised

his hand

when Stephen

was on trial

for his very

life,

that Stephen

should be

stoned to

death.

Yes,

said this

man,

he should

be put

to death.

And he

looked after

the coats

of those

who had

thrown

stones

at Stephen.

But God

showed

mercy

to him.

We read

about it

in 1 Timothy

1 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

chapter 1

and verses

12 to 14.

This is what

he says,

I thank

Christ Jesus

our Lord

who has

given me

strength

that he

considered

me faithful,

appointing me

to his

service.

Even

though I

was once

a blasphemer

and a

persecutor

and a

violent man,

I was

shown

mercy

because I

acted in

ignorance

and unbelief.

The grace

of the Lord

was poured

out on me

abundantly

along with

the faith

and love

that are

in Christ

Jesus.

Paul says,

I was

shown

mercy

and every

Christian

has been

shown

mercy.

Therefore,

I urge you

in the light

of this

to be

living

sacrifices.

But not

only does

the Apostle

Paul tell

us about

mercy shown

to sinners,

he shows

us that

this mercy

makes

every believer

righteous

in the sight

of God.

He writes

in chapter

1 of

Romans

in verse

17,

he says,

a righteousness

that is

by faith

from first

to last.

And he

speaks

more profoundly

and in

more fullness

in chapter

3,

verses

21

to

chapter

4.

And what

does he

tell us

in this

particular

chapter?

He

tells us

of the

Lord

Jesus

Christ

as a

substitute

for sinners.

He speaks

of the

perfect

one

going to

the cross

of Calvary.

And he

speaks about

the wrath

of God

being poured

out upon

him.

He says

this,

God

presented

him

as a

sacrifice

of atonement.

A better

word there

is

propitiation.

I know

it's a

longer

word,

but it

expresses

precisely

what is

happening

here.

That the

Lord Jesus

was the

one

who

turned

aside

the

wrath

of God

that was

deserved

by people

like you

and I.

And so

the Lord

Jesus

hangs

on the

cross

at Calvary.

the

anger

of God

is

poured

out

against

him.

And he

cries

as his

anger

is

poured

out,

My

God,

my

God,

why

have

you

forsaken

me?

And if you're

a Christian

this morning,

you have

looked to

the Lord

Jesus

Christ

as the

only

Saviour

for your

sins.

You have

looked upon

him as

your

substitute,

as the

only one

who could

remove the

wrath of

God

from you.

But the

moment you

look to

the Lord

Jesus

Christ,

something

wonderful

happened.

Not only

was your

sin

completely

removed

from you

because the

blood of

Christ

cleanses

from all

sin,

but the

moment you

look to

Christ,

the

perfect

righteousness

of Christ

was put

to your

account.

You were

counted

righteous

in the

sight of

God.

What

mercy

that

sinners

such as

ourselves

could have

upon their

very own

selves

the very

righteousness

of Christ.

But that's

what happened.

That's

mercy.

mercy.

And in

the light

of that,

therefore,

I urge you

to present

yourselves as

living

sacrifices.

Mercy

also tells

us that

we are

united

with

Christ.

And being

united with

Christ,

we are set

free

from bondage

to sin.

Every

believer

has been

given a

resurrection

life.

And in

chapter 6

of Romans,

Paul speaks

about our

union with

Christ.

In those

early verses

of the chapter,

verses 1 to

3, he says

we're united

with Christ.

When Christ

died,

you died

in Him.

You were

buried

with Him.

And then

you rose

again in

Him.

We are

in

Christ,

united in

His death

and in

His

resurrection.

And because

we are united

with Christ

in His

death

and

resurrection,

we're told

in Romans

6 and

verse 11

that we

can count

ourselves

dead

to sin.

but alive

to God

in Christ

Jesus.

What

mercy!

What

grace!

Therefore,

I urge

you

to give

your lives

entirely

to Him.

We sang

it earlier,

didn't we?

Long

my

imprisoned

spirit

lay,

fast bound

in sin

and nature's

night,

then I

diffused

a quickening

ray.

I woke

the dungeons

flamed with

light.

My chains

fell off.

My heart

was free.

I rose,

went forth

and followed

thee.

This was

Wesley's

experience.

And it is

the experience

of every

Christian

because he

has been

shown

mercy.

Therefore,

I urge

you.

There's

more.

it's

a mercy

that makes

you and

I sons

and daughters

of God.

That's

what Paul

says in

Romans 8.

Every

Christian

is a

child

of God

through

the work

of God

the Holy

Spirit.

In

verse 15

of Romans

8,

he said,

it is

by the

Spirit

that we

can cry

Abba

Father.

And because

of this

relationship

that we

have as

a son

and daughter

of God,

we are

part of

the very

family of

God.

And being

part of

the family

of God,

the Apostle

tells us

in verse

38 of

chapter 8,

that nothing,

but nothing,

can separate

us from

the love

of God,

which is

in Christ

Jesus

our

Lord.

What

mercy

has been

shown to

you and

to me?

Therefore,

I urge

you to

present

yourselves.

One more

thing.

Here is

a mercy

that was

planned

in

eternity.

Paul

allows us

a glimpse,

if you like,

behind the

scenes.

he allows

us to

see something

of God's

eternal

plan.

And he

tells us

in chapter

9 and

verse 15,

that God

is sovereign.

I will

have mercy

on whom

I will

have mercy.

And I

will have

compassion

on whom

I will

have

compassion.

He tells

us he

chose a

worm

like

Jacob.

He

foreloved

him.

He

elected

him.

Before

Jacob

had done

good or

evil,

God

set his

love

upon

him.

And

this is

true,

not just

of Jacob,

it's true

of every

Christian

here this

morning.

If you're

a Christian,

if you ever

ask the

question,

why me?

they're

members of

my family

who are

not

Christians,

why did

God

love

me?

I was

living like

they were.

Why did

God love

me?

Well,

he loved

you

because he

chose to

love you.

And we

love God

only because

he first

loved us.

Therefore,

I urge

you,

in the

light that

you have

been shown

mercy,

to offer

yourselves as

living

sacrifices

unto God.

That God

has saved

you,

a sinner,

in view

of his

sacrifice

for your

sin,

in view

of the

fact that

you have

been made

righteous

with the

righteousness

of Christ,

in view

of your

union with

Christ,

setting you

free from

the bond

of sin,

in view

of the

fact that

nothing can

separate you

from the

love of

God as

his child,

in view

of his

eternal

love,

and we

could go

further to

think of

his daily

mercies,

his keeping

mercies.

Therefore,

offer your

bodies as

living

sacrifices.

In view

of such

mercy,

then,

you are

asked to

show

yourselves

as

sacrifices.

So,

our second

point is

this,

that the

sacrifice

is expected

of each

believer

here this

morning.

And it's

on the

basis of

God's

mercy that

Paul makes

his

appeal.

Therefore,

for this

reason,

I urge

every

Christian,

brothers,

sisters,

old,

young,

to live

your life

wholeheartedly

for God.

Now,

I would

suggest that

here in the

West,

we know

very little

of sacrifice.

sacrifice.

The greatest

sacrifice we

might make

is getting

out of our

warm beds

on a Sunday

morning when

it's cold

outside.

We know

very little

of sacrifice.

Others,

as we shall

discover in a

moment,

know a

great deal

more than

we do.

But on

the basis

of God's

mercy,

we should

all be

ready to

make the

ultimate

sacrifice.

And it

should be

a

thank-offering

sacrifice.

That's the

kind of

sacrifice

that is

being asked

of here.

In the

Old Testament,

of course,

an animal

was killed.

People

offered

a

sacrifice.

And it

looked forward

to the

ultimate

sacrifice of

the Lord

Jesus Christ

himself.

But the

Old Testament

also had

another

kind of

sacrifice.

Although an

animal died,

it was

referred to

as a

thanksgiving

sacrifice.

It was

part of

a mercy

sacrifice,

a way in

which you

offered

your love

to the

Lord.

It was

something

very personal,

a peace

offering to

God,

if you like.

like.

And we

have it

referred to

in Psalm

116

and verse

1,

where the

apostle,

where the

psalmist

says,

I love

the Lord,

for he

heard my

voice,

he heard

my cry

for mercy.

And he

goes on

in that

particular

psalm

to say

how the

Lord has

shown

mercy to

him.

The

Lord has

delivered him

from his

enemies,

etc.

What can

he do

then in

response to

God's

loving

kindness?

What can

he give

as an

offering to

God for

his tender

mercies?

And he

tells us

in verse

17 of

Psalm

116,

he says,

I will

sacrifice a

thank offering

to you

and call

on the

name of

the Lord.

He

didn't

have to,

but he

wanted to

show his

love for

the Lord

who had

been merciful,

who had

been kind

to him.

I will

offer you

the sacrifice

of praise,

a thank

offering

to you

for what

you have

done for

me.

And that's

what the

Lord requires

of you

and I.

It is a

glad and

willing

sacrifice

to him,

a living

sacrifice.

But it

is a

sacrifice.

Now we

all make

sacrifices.

What do

we make

sacrifices

for?

Well, we

perhaps make

sacrifices for

ourselves.

We make

sacrifices for

our family.

we make

sacrifices

to put

more money

in the

bank,

perhaps,

to have

more power

to gain

material

things,

to get

ourselves a

bigger or

better house

or promotion.

We can

make sacrifices

to promote

our own

ego.

A boy

makes a

sacrifice for

his girlfriend

and vice

versa.

But what

about this

living sacrifice

for the

one who

has shown

us such

mercy?

Do we

make a

sacrifice

as far as

our income

is concerned?

Will we

bring our

tithes and

our offerings

to him

gladly and

willingly?

How about

our service

to others?

Are we

ready to

go the

extra mile?

Do we

stay quiet

in our

places of

work because

we're unwilling

to make

the sacrifice

that people

might laugh

at us if

we speak

of a

saviour who

died to

save us

from our

sin?

How about

the sacrifice

of being

ready and

willing to

lay down

our lives

for the

Lord Jesus?

How about

the sacrifice

if we are

called into

missionary work?

Are we

ready to

give up the

comforts of

home for

him who

loved us

and gave

himself for

us?

Are we

ready to

hear the

command of

the Lord

Jesus Christ

himself?

He's not

speaking just

of an

occasional

Christian

or a

special kind

of Christian.

He's

speaking to

every

believer.

And he

says in

Romans 9

and verse

23

these words.

He said

to them

all,

if anyone

would come

after me,

he must

deny himself

and take

up his

cross daily

and follow

me.

For whoever

wants to

save his

life will

lose it.

But whoever

loses his

life for me

will save

it.

What good

is it for

a man to

gain the

whole world

and yet

lose or

forfeit

his very

self?

To take

up our

cross.

cross.

That means

being ready

to suffer.

It's being

ready to

sacrifice.

And Jesus

says, if you

would follow

me, this

is what

is required

of me.

there was

a man

who was

a

missionary,

Jim

Elliott,

who was

actually

martyred

out in

the jungle.

And he

said this,

he is

no fool

who gives

up what

he cannot

keep

to gain

that

which he

cannot

lose.

Sacrifice.

I picked

up

the

evangelicals

now when

I was

in

Belfast.

I want

to read

just a

few lines.

It's

entitled

Ethiopia,

Christian

girls

singing

in

prison.

Three

teenage

Christian

girls.

One

15,

one

14,

and

another

14,

together

with an

older

girl,

were

sentenced

to

prison

for

distributing

Christian

literature.

One of

them

was

beaten

in

prison.

And this

is what

we read

at the

end of

the

article.

Eden

suffered

a beating

on her

first night

in prison.

And then

we have

their own

words.

This

suffering,

they said,

is an

honour

for us.

We should

expect

persecution.

We are

not afraid.

We are

singing

and praying

here in

prison.

Eden

said,

it is

an honour

to be

jailed

for God's

kingdom.

sacrifice.

The

presentation

of our

whole

selves.

Our

minds.

We will

have more

to say

about that

in a

moment.

We can

fill our

minds

with

rubbish.

Or we

can fill

our minds

with that

which is

good and

offer it

up to

God.

Our

eyes and

our ears,

what do

we see?

What

occupies

our

hearing?

Can we

offer

our eyes

and our

ears as

a spiritual

act of

worship?

How about

our tongues?

Only a

little member

we are told

by James.

It's a

fire.

Who can

tame it?

But we

can offer

what we

say to

God and

we can

pray for

that

sanctification

of our

tongues,

that we

will use

our tongues

to be

witnesses

in the

world in

which we

live,

in pointing

our fellow

men to

the one

who has

shown us

mercy.

How are

we using

our hands

and our

feet?

Are we

working with

our hands

to the

glory of

God?

And are

our feet

being used

to bring

the gospel

of peace

to those

out there

who have

no peace?

the apostle

Paul,

again,

writing to

the Romans

in chapter

6 and

verses 14

to 16

says these

words,

or verse

12 rather,

sin shall

not be your

master,

because you

are not

able to

obey its

desires.

Do not offer

the parts of your

body to sin as

instruments of

wickedness,

but rather offer

yourselves to

God as those

who have been

brought from

death to

life,

and offer the

parts of your

body to

him as

instruments of

righteousness,

for sin shall

not be your

master,

because you

are not

under law,

but under

grace,

to offer

ourselves

utterly and

completely,

the whole

of ourselves,

which is our

spiritual act

of worship.

It is holy

and pleasing

to God,

or as the

authorised

version has

it,

it's our

reasonable

service.

service.

In other

words,

to give

ourselves

wholeheartedly

to God

is the

most logical

thing we

could ever

do.

It's the

most rational.

If our

minds have

embraced what

God has

done,

what can

we do

in return?

Well,

logic would

surely say,

take my

life and

let it be

consecrated,

Lord,

to thee.

Take myself

and I

will be

ever only

for my

king.

Living

sacrifices

in the

light of

God's

mercies,

offer

yourselves

as

living

sacrifices.

And our

final heading

this morning

is that

we enter

1917

as those

whose

minds are

being

changed.

See

again

Romans

Romans 12 · chapter mention

chapter

12

and

verses

verse 2.

Here the

apostle Paul

makes it

very clear.

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.

Be ready

to be

different.

That's what

the apostle

Paul is

saying.

To be

those living

sacrifices

that will

be noticed

by others.

J.B.

Phillips

in his

translation

of this

verse,

the early

part of

it says,

don't be

squeezed

into the

world's

mould.

Do not

conform any

longer to

the pattern

of this

world.

There's a

thinking out

there,

and the

thinking out

there would

press you

into its

mould.

We're living

in a

secular

world,

and it's

not easy

to run

our lives

contrary

to that

world.

But we

are to

be

different.

The world

out there

will say

everybody

is behaving

in a

particular

way.

Why

shouldn't

I?

Why

should I

be

different?

Young

people are

saying,