Pastor Gideon Lee
We want to collect this morning a special offering for NECF as announced last week. The money you have saved during the prayer and fasting month will be sowed into the kingdom of God. And next week we will announce the amount collected.
Romans 12:1-2
Living Sacrifices to God
1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
What is happening here is a conclusion of the discourse that has been going on since chapter one. That's why he started with the word therefore. A term lawyers use to conclude their case.
I want you to note this that God's will is good perfect and pleasing.
These two verses as you have read them in there are two words that stands out "living sacrifices". The next word is "do not conform to the pattern of this world" and it did not stop there but continued with a comma "be transformed by the renewing of your mind". You can only do the transforming without the conforming. And the last thing is that God's will is good for us pleasing and perfect.
The book of Romans is written by Paul and if you know the history Paul wrote this when he has not been to Rome. His desire is to get a chance to go to Rome to preach there before the end of his life. Back in those time Rome is the centre of the world. He wrote this letter to prepare the people that he is coming.
Secondly he also wrote to correct some wrong doctrines. One of them is that the Jews that became Christians had problems with the Gentiles. They were still doing what was required by the Torah. He wanted to unite the Jewish and the Gentile Christians. There are a lot of fundamental doctrines being discussed.
And now at chapter 12 he is moving from the theological to the practical aspects of Christian life. From revelation to responsibility. How we are going to lead our life. From doctrinal to application.
Paul used a known analogy here. In the OT you bring animals to be sacrificed and the priest will first and foremost examine your sacrifice. You cannot bring a blind lamb or one with three legs. They need to be perfect. Jesus was our perfect sacrifice in every way.
We in nature give leftovers to God. Let's be honest with ourselves. "If I have the time if I have the extra money I'll give to God".
But to bring the perfect sacrifice the lamb needs to be killed and blood shed. Thank God we don't need to so that now or we have have a very dirty church. But Paul said we do not want a dead sacrifice but a living sacrifice. What Paul is saying is that we are to bring our entire body and let it be a living sacrifice as its our spiritual duty.
We cannot compartmentalise our life. It's not only Sunday that we bring our body to God. It's everyday 24/7. Then it becomes a pleasing sacrifice to God. You are a Christian 24/7. When we walk out the door we are supposed to be the same person whether we are in church or in the world.
365 days a year we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. When we do business we are a Christian businessman. And we are to be Christian employees. All the time. God doesn't want you dead he wants you to be a living sacrifice out there.
Verse 2 starts off with an imperative. A command. It's not a suggestion. Do not conform. We MUST do this. It is not an option. Don't let the world mould you.
How many of you knows how to make Ang Ku Kueh? To make it you need to press it hard into a mould. When the things come out we say chop chop like how a son looks like the father.
This is because we are not of this world. In it but not of it. We as Christian employees give our best to our employers. Everything is done as unto the Lord. Don't let the pattern of the world mould you. Paul is not talking about the outward. You can clean the outside but it's only for a while. Paul is asking you to be transformed. Of course the outward is also important but what is inside will come out.
This word transform is the same root word as the word metamorphosis. What happens during metamorphosis? Change happens. But change happens from the inside.
In science class we take a caterpillar and puts it in a jar. Then it goes to the stage of a pupae. Here it is in a cocoon and looks dead. But something is happening inside that changes it to a beautiful butterfly.
As a child of God we need to change from the worm that you were (for lack of a better word) to a butterfly by the renewing of your mind. It is a very important organ in your body.
Your mind needs to be constantly renewed and how you do it is by reading God's word. Like dialysis. You need to hook up to a machine that washes your blood like the kidneys. Out come the clean blood. That's what God's word does to our mind. It renews your mind. By reading and digesting the word of God. You need to saturate your mind with the Word of God. Not one day but everyday. It only ends when we see God face to face.
When we grow up we are somehow being moulded by our world. That's why there is peer pressure. We are forced to change to how the world thinks. But we are to be renewed in our minds, to be more and more like Christ.
When I was a youth pastor, a Christian brother showed me a wonderful Christian book. But I wanted to point out something to him knowing him well. I asked if he has read the bible from Genesis to Revelation. I am all for Christian books, don't get me wrong but we need to first and foremost read the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. This is because it is the foundation to what we read. So that we know what is rigth and wrong because all Christian books in the bookstore is based on the bible. Then we can test and know what is God's perfect plan and will for us.
Putting your mind to God's washing machine, washing it so that when we stand before God we are more and more like Him.
Five manifestations of a renewed mind.
1. When you actively accept and live a life with a purpose and destiny that God has given you.
Look at Gideon in the bible. God used him to deliver Israel. He lived a life with a destiny in God.
2. You are not ruled by circumstances.
Logic has a place to play but what does the word of God says? We live under supernatural circumstances in God. We are not ruled by circumstances when we have a renewed mind.
3. You recognise that abundance is not limited with the material that you have.
We always equate abundance with money. If you have a renewed mind you will know you can have a nice house in the best part of Penang but still not a home. You may have the best mattress in this world but not a good nights sleep that comes from a clear conscious. Or money to buy the best medication but not health.
4. When you have the right priorities.
What's your number one priority? Sad to say it's not your children? We are first Christian then businessman. First Christian then pastor in my walk with God.
5. When I see you in every area of your life you strive for excellence.
We need to do things where we give our best. Remember Caleb when he was 85 years old he told Joshua that he felt as young as when Moses called him. He strived for excellence at 85 to take the mountain. There is no retirement for Christians. The only way you retire is when God take you from one area of leadership to a higher area of responsibility. Retire as cell leader? Sure, then be a zone supervisor.
You want God's perfect will in your life? Then you need to renew your mind.
Romans 12:1-2
Living Sacrifices to God
1 I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable to God which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
What is happening here is a conclusion of the discourse that has been going on since chapter one. That's why he started with the word therefore. A term lawyers use to conclude their case.
I want you to note this that God's will is good perfect and pleasing.
These two verses as you have read them in there are two words that stands out "living sacrifices". The next word is "do not conform to the pattern of this world" and it did not stop there but continued with a comma "be transformed by the renewing of your mind". You can only do the transforming without the conforming. And the last thing is that God's will is good for us pleasing and perfect.
The book of Romans is written by Paul and if you know the history Paul wrote this when he has not been to Rome. His desire is to get a chance to go to Rome to preach there before the end of his life. Back in those time Rome is the centre of the world. He wrote this letter to prepare the people that he is coming.
Secondly he also wrote to correct some wrong doctrines. One of them is that the Jews that became Christians had problems with the Gentiles. They were still doing what was required by the Torah. He wanted to unite the Jewish and the Gentile Christians. There are a lot of fundamental doctrines being discussed.
And now at chapter 12 he is moving from the theological to the practical aspects of Christian life. From revelation to responsibility. How we are going to lead our life. From doctrinal to application.
Paul used a known analogy here. In the OT you bring animals to be sacrificed and the priest will first and foremost examine your sacrifice. You cannot bring a blind lamb or one with three legs. They need to be perfect. Jesus was our perfect sacrifice in every way.
We in nature give leftovers to God. Let's be honest with ourselves. "If I have the time if I have the extra money I'll give to God".
But to bring the perfect sacrifice the lamb needs to be killed and blood shed. Thank God we don't need to so that now or we have have a very dirty church. But Paul said we do not want a dead sacrifice but a living sacrifice. What Paul is saying is that we are to bring our entire body and let it be a living sacrifice as its our spiritual duty.
We cannot compartmentalise our life. It's not only Sunday that we bring our body to God. It's everyday 24/7. Then it becomes a pleasing sacrifice to God. You are a Christian 24/7. When we walk out the door we are supposed to be the same person whether we are in church or in the world.
365 days a year we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. When we do business we are a Christian businessman. And we are to be Christian employees. All the time. God doesn't want you dead he wants you to be a living sacrifice out there.
Verse 2 starts off with an imperative. A command. It's not a suggestion. Do not conform. We MUST do this. It is not an option. Don't let the world mould you.
How many of you knows how to make Ang Ku Kueh? To make it you need to press it hard into a mould. When the things come out we say chop chop like how a son looks like the father.
This is because we are not of this world. In it but not of it. We as Christian employees give our best to our employers. Everything is done as unto the Lord. Don't let the pattern of the world mould you. Paul is not talking about the outward. You can clean the outside but it's only for a while. Paul is asking you to be transformed. Of course the outward is also important but what is inside will come out.
This word transform is the same root word as the word metamorphosis. What happens during metamorphosis? Change happens. But change happens from the inside.
In science class we take a caterpillar and puts it in a jar. Then it goes to the stage of a pupae. Here it is in a cocoon and looks dead. But something is happening inside that changes it to a beautiful butterfly.
As a child of God we need to change from the worm that you were (for lack of a better word) to a butterfly by the renewing of your mind. It is a very important organ in your body.
Your mind needs to be constantly renewed and how you do it is by reading God's word. Like dialysis. You need to hook up to a machine that washes your blood like the kidneys. Out come the clean blood. That's what God's word does to our mind. It renews your mind. By reading and digesting the word of God. You need to saturate your mind with the Word of God. Not one day but everyday. It only ends when we see God face to face.
When we grow up we are somehow being moulded by our world. That's why there is peer pressure. We are forced to change to how the world thinks. But we are to be renewed in our minds, to be more and more like Christ.
When I was a youth pastor, a Christian brother showed me a wonderful Christian book. But I wanted to point out something to him knowing him well. I asked if he has read the bible from Genesis to Revelation. I am all for Christian books, don't get me wrong but we need to first and foremost read the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation. This is because it is the foundation to what we read. So that we know what is rigth and wrong because all Christian books in the bookstore is based on the bible. Then we can test and know what is God's perfect plan and will for us.
Putting your mind to God's washing machine, washing it so that when we stand before God we are more and more like Him.
Five manifestations of a renewed mind.
1. When you actively accept and live a life with a purpose and destiny that God has given you.
Look at Gideon in the bible. God used him to deliver Israel. He lived a life with a destiny in God.
2. You are not ruled by circumstances.
Logic has a place to play but what does the word of God says? We live under supernatural circumstances in God. We are not ruled by circumstances when we have a renewed mind.
3. You recognise that abundance is not limited with the material that you have.
We always equate abundance with money. If you have a renewed mind you will know you can have a nice house in the best part of Penang but still not a home. You may have the best mattress in this world but not a good nights sleep that comes from a clear conscious. Or money to buy the best medication but not health.
4. When you have the right priorities.
What's your number one priority? Sad to say it's not your children? We are first Christian then businessman. First Christian then pastor in my walk with God.
5. When I see you in every area of your life you strive for excellence.
We need to do things where we give our best. Remember Caleb when he was 85 years old he told Joshua that he felt as young as when Moses called him. He strived for excellence at 85 to take the mountain. There is no retirement for Christians. The only way you retire is when God take you from one area of leadership to a higher area of responsibility. Retire as cell leader? Sure, then be a zone supervisor.
You want God's perfect will in your life? Then you need to renew your mind.
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