It was almost 12 years ago that a jury in Simi Valley acquitted four white Los Angeles police officers who had been involved in a high speed car chase - chasing Rodney King who was drunk and who fought back when the officers tried to arrest him. The white officers had been video taped clubbing Rodney King - an African-American. Remember the video?

The acquittal of these four white police officers sparked a 3 day riot in Los Angeles that ended with 55 people dead - more than 2,300 injured - 1,100 buildings destroyed - and damage estimated at more than $1 billion. In the midst of these riots state and federal authorities deployed thousands of troops from the National Guard, the Army, and the Marines. We were living in L.A. at the time and it was shocking to see neighborhoods - businesses - where we often spent time - on fire.

In the midst of all that chaos and rage and unrestrained hatred and opportunistic violence, Rodney King coined these immortal words, “People, I just want to say...can we all just get along? Can we get along?...We all can get along. We’ve just got to.”

Those words have stuck in our minds because we often wish that we could. They’re words that are a cry echoed in many homes and relationships - between nations - in neighborhoods - in the church. That cry for getting along is the reason for the series of messages we’re beginning today - looking at Romans 12 to 16. These words, “Can We All Get Along?” are crucial for the church and our usefulness in bringing God’s salvation and healing into our homes and community.

Over the years - as I’ve listened to a lot of people talk about why they don’t attend church. Listened to people who are economically well off and those that are not. People who are highly educated and those who aren’t. Those who have attended church and those who have never attended church. There are a variety of reasons why people choose not to come. But the number one reason these people give - anyone want to guess? The number one reason I’ve heard as to why people avoid church is because of Christians. God’s people treating God’s people badly.

We crave community - a place where we can get along. The Trinity - Father - Son - Holy Spirit - the Godhead - is a community. We’re created in the image of God. God has designed us as communal creatures. The Church is designed to be a community.

Jesus, in praying for His disciples prayed that they would be - what? - one - just as Jesus and God the Father are one. (John 17:21) That doesn’t mean a loss of individuality. Father - Son - and Holy Spirit are distinct individuals. But it does mean unity - God driven community - God driven love.

Jesus said, “People will know you’re my disciples if you have - what? - love for one another.” (John 13:35) People will know that God has created community in you when the evidence of His love is shown in your relationships.

The opposite is also true. In the world we live in - the relationships we share - there’s a great desire for community - a deep honest knowing of others and being known by others - to “get along” in a deep intimate way. People are struggling with this. When we give no evidence of love for each other people will reject our claim to be disciples of Christ. Worse - they’ll reject their Savior. What’s the point in coming here? What does the church offer that’s any different than any place else?

But, if the Church - which is to be created and empowered and directed by God - if the church can get along - we have a message of hope for our homes and our relationships and this world that we live in. Praise God! We can get along. Say that with me, “We Can Get Along.”

Coming to Paul - and his letter to the Church in Rome - Paul is writing to a church that by any human invention - this church should never have existed. The Roman Church was located in the heart of the Roman Empire - Rome. Imagine what egos may have been brought into that community - what power struggles and politics might have been going on. In the pews were the rich and wealthy and the poor - slaves and masters - Jews from Judea and from the Diaspora - gentiles from all over the Empire - Christians who had come out of a variety of religious backgrounds and experiences and expectations.

Paul writes to this church. He’s in Corinth. Its about 57 A.D. His desire is to visit the church. To encourage them. To help them. To strengthen them in their faith together. To open their hearts to the unity that they - that we - can experience together in Jesus Christ.

In the coming Sundays this is what we’re going to focus on - Paul’s teaching on how we can get along in Jesus.

Please turn with me to Romans 12:1,2. This morning we want to focus on “Getting Along in Worship.” Which is a good to place to start. Worship - styles of worship - music - has been the number one divisive issue in the Church in the United States for many years now. Churches have struggled and split over worship. In the past this church has struggled with worship. Some of the most anger filled words I’ve ever had leveled against me - not here - another church - those words had to do with disagreement over worship. Have you experienced this?

Do we sing hymns or choruses? Or both? 40% hymns - 60% choruses? What instruments do we use? 200 years ago using an organ to accompany singing was considered sinful. I read about a suggestion in a congregation that worship be led by 500 banjos.

One solution today is the Cineplex concept of worship - it’s like going to a theatre and choosing which movie we want to watch. One congregation in Southern California offers weekend worshipers a choice of five different worship styles - up-tempo casual rock - edgy alternative - acoustical - praise and worship - and traditional. When we arrive we choose the style we want to worship in - then go to that auditorium. After worshipping in the style that we want - the sermon is preached by video hook-up. Same sermon for everyone. Different worship styles according to taste. (1)

There is a place for this kind of ministry. I mean that in a positive way. But the concern with our approach to worship is this: How do we learn to “get along” in community while we’re dividing over worship?

Romans 12:1: “Therefore” Okay. Stop there. Whenever we see a “therefore” in Scripture we have to ask, “Wherefore the therefore?” Try that with me, “Wherefore the therefore?” Therefore is a summary statement - a reference to everything Paul has just said.

Remember who Paul is writing to - a very diverse congregation. In Romans chapters 1 to 8 he’s reminded them about their position before God in Jesus Christ. God’s saving them - their salvation regardless of their ethnicity or social status. In chapters 9 to 11 he’s talked about the role the Jews have in God’s plan - and the need for the gentiles to recognize that role and the Jews to be humble in their role.

“Therefore” - because of his preceding 11 chapters long discussion in which Paul appeals for humility between believers of great diversity - here - starting in 12:1 - here - Paul writes - here practically is how you are to get along together in the church.

12:1: “Therefore I urge you - I passionately plead with you - its that crucial - I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”

Paul starts with mercy. Mercy is the means of worship. “By the mercies of God.” We need to understand that. Think with me about what God’s mercy means for us.

In His Sermon on the Mount - Matthew chapters 5 to 7 - Jesus takes the 10 commandments and applies them to our hearts. For example, Jesus says this, “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder...’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother is guilty… or whoever says to his brother, ‘you good-for-nothing’ or ‘you fool’ shall be guilty.” (Matthew 5:21-22) The attitude of murder in our thoughts and words is just as if we’ve physically murdered that person. How many of us have had murderous thoughts this past week? While inconvenienced by others? Driving? Shopping? When put on hold? You don’t have to raise your hands.

Think with me about the opposite side of the coin. The Heidelberg Catechism - in interpreting the sixth commandment “You shall not kill” - the catechism states not only what the commandment prohibits but also what it requires:

The Heidelberg Catechism asks: Is it enough...that we do not kill our neighbor? Answer: No...God tells us to love our neighbors as ourselves, to be patient, peace-loving, gentle, merciful, and friendly to them, to protect them from harm as much as we can…

Have we failed at this? Of course.

Jesus - same message - Sermon on the Mount - equates lust with adultery. Anyone commit adultery this past week? A little lust entertained in your thoughts? Another commandment - anyone lie recently? Maybe in the last few minutes?

We can go right down the 10 commandments and we fail - over and over and over and over again. That’s why Paul begins with mercy. Mercy is not getting what we deserve.

For our sin - our spiritual and moral failure - while we deserve God’s condemnation and wrath justly poured out upon us - while we deserve the fires and torments of hell and eternal separation from God’s presence - God is merciful and offers to everyone undeserved salvation - forgiveness - cleansing - in Jesus Christ.

Paul writes, “By the mercies of God” - by the means of God’s mercy - “present” yourselves before Him.

“Present” is a military term. It means to stand at attention before a superior officer. Imagine boot camp. Some of you can imagine this all too well. Stand at attention for inspection. Don’t even think about moving. Think about who you are standing before. God. Omniscient. Omnipresent. And a whole lot of other theological words we use to describe God but can’t even come close to understanding the meaning of. Holy. Almighty. Eternal. Immutable. Infinite. Self-existent. All wise. Creator and possessor of all. We come to present ourselves before God.

When we get off of our own little pedestals of self-worth and tear up our own petty agendas of self-serving worship and set-aside our expectations of what worship is suppose to do for us - when we “get off” of ourselves and realize that none of us has the right to expect or assume or demand the privilege of being here - when we come - understanding that it’s by God’s mercy - and His mercy alone - we begin worship.

Paul goes on in verse 1. Three examples of how we are to present ourselves before God in worship.

First - Paul writes, “present your bodies.” Some of us might say, “Well, are you sure God really wants this body?” Our bodies are the physical means through which everything else that we are - our heart - our mind - our soul - our bodies are the physical means through which everything we are is presented to God.

Animal sacrifices are led to the altar and tied down. The animal doesn’t have a choice in what’s about to happen to it physically. The point is - we’re not dumb animals. You can tell that to the person next to you, “You’re not a dumb animal.” We choose to present our bodies - ourselves to God.

Second - Paul says that our presentation is “living.” A sacrificed animal - sliced - diced - and Bar-B-Qued - it’s dead. It doesn’t get up again. But we live. Paul’s talking about our choice to honor God in the daily things of our lives. To present our bodies as instruments of righteousness. Mouths that speak words which encourage and build up and bring others to closer to God. Caring hands that reach out in His love to embrace those who are hurting. Eyes that dwell on what is pure before God. Eyes that look for those who are in need of God’s love. Feet that walk in His ways.

Imagine cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, driving, teaching, golfing, having “discussions” with our spouse, disciplining our children - all the daily things that living bodies do. By choice these become acts of daily worship as we present ourselves to God to do through us whatever He wills.

Third - our presentation is “holy.” That which is holy is dedicated - completely set apart - only for God’s use.

It’s arrogance to think that we get ourselves up on Sunday morning - drive ourselves over here - and somehow we honor God by sacrificing some of our precious time on Sunday morning. We sacrifice so much to show up here for a Service of Worship.

1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “You have been bought with a price.” That price is the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ. God - in Jesus - purifies us and He mercifully enables and allows us to worship Him. Sacrificial worship is giving to God what is already His. That means that it is just wrong to hold back anything of ourselves from God’s work in us - and His glorifying Himself through us - whenever and in whatever way He chooses. Total commitment.

It’s like the old story of the chicken and the pig that were discussing breakfast. The pig was complaining. “For you chickens, breakfast means giving an offering. For us pigs it’s a total sacrifice.”

Paul writes - verse one - this kind of sacrifice is “acceptable” to God. It’s God’s expectation from our worship.

Hear this - the bottom line of worship is that it requires everything we are. Worship is our choice to daily commit all that we are to God - laying ourselves without reservation on the altar before Him.

That - Paul concludes in verse 1 - that is our “spiritual service of worship.” Literally, in the original Greek the idea is that this sacrificial worship is the only logical - rational - way for people who have been shown God’s mercy - it’s the only response that makes sense.

Isaac Watts’ hymn When I Survey The Wondrous Cross reflects what Paul is urging us to. Listen to these words.

When I survey the wondrous cross,
On which the Prince of glory died,
My richest gain I count but loss,
And pour contempt on all my pride.

Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

Verse two is the application of verse one.

“And - when you come to worship God - do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

When we say, “Don’t be conformed to the world” a lot of Christians will say, “Oh, that means don’t smoke. Don’t drink. Don’t play cards.” and so on. None of which is the real issue.

How does the world think? The whole world is focused on the advancement of self - personal happiness - self-gratification. “What’s in it for me?” A philosophy and a thought process that when it infiltrates our homes and community and church - it tears us apart - leads to heartache and ruin and disaster.

Paul writes, “but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” We thought like that - we were focused on ourselves. Now we’re coming to think like this - sacrificially focused on God - which is the opposite of how the world thinks. God transforms us as we present ourselves before Him in worship.

The result - Paul concludes - is that when we worship we experience the will of God in our lives. We experience what God intends for us - in our homes - in our community - our church - His will for us which is “good and acceptable and perfect.” We get along.

Put simply: Husbands and wives who worship together stay together. A family that worships together stays together. A church that worships together stays together. Because the focus is on God and not us.