This morning we are at Romans 12 - which is the beginning of the next section of Romans.  Romans 12 begins Paul’s application of what he’s been teaching for the past 11 chapters.

Back in chapter 1 Paul laid out his theme for the Book of Romans:  Romans 1:16,17.  Which says this:  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”  (Romans 1:16,17)

Paul writes, he’s not ashamed of the gospel.  He’s not holding back on his faith.  His commitment to follow Jesus through life. 

Why?  Because each of us done what separates us from God.  Sin.  Apart from what God has done for us with Jesus’ work on the cross on our behalf each one of us is facing forever being separated from God being punished for our sins.

The bottom line truth that transcends all of life - in all that we search for - long for - are desperate for - at the heart level - the essential deepest need of our lives can only be met by God through what He’s done for us in Jesus.

As Paul writes, it doesn’t matter if were a Jew or a Gentile we all need to come by faith to God.  And God, who deeply loves - who is gracious to us - merciful to us - God promises to save us - restore us - make us right before Him.

That’s what Paul has been driving at for 11 chapters.  What Paul is not ashamed of.  The astounding reality of the gospel - what God offers in Jesus.

Then Paul writes, “The righteous shall live by faith.”  Which is where Paul goes next in chapters 12 to 16.  What we’re coming to this morning.

What does it mean - as those made right before God - what does it look like in the day-to-day of our lives to live by faith?  How do we live by faith?  In our families?  At work?  At school?  In the church?  In wherever we do life?  How do we do that individually?  Or together as Creekside?  What can that living by faith mean for us?

Coming to chapter 12 - we’re going to begin where Paul begins - with worship.  Would you read verses 1 and 2 with me and then we’ll go back and unpack Paul.

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.

Paul begins with an “appeal” and a “therefore.”

“Appeal” in Greek is a word that means someone who comes along side next to us - puts their arm around our shoulders - and encourages us - urges us - from right next to us - this is what you need to do.  Crucially important that this is next step you take.

Paul’s appeals to the brothers - brothers and sisters in Jesus.  The church in Rome.  We need to grab some back fill on that.

Paul is writing to a church that by any human invention - this church should never have existed.  The church in Rome was located in the heart of the Roman Empire - Rome.  Sitting on the cushy teal colored chairs 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.  Imagine what egos may have been brought into that church community - what power struggles and politics might have been going on.

When Paul writes to this church he’s in Corinth.  It’s 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.  To appeal to this diverse group - to encourage them - in what it means to live together by faith in Jesus.

Paul’s “therefore” means because of everything I’ve been writing to you about for the last 11 chapters - about how God has chosen to act in love and grace and mercy towards us - what we are totally undeserving of - “therefore” because of what God has done for you - this is now how I’m appealing for you to live.

Paul appeals to the brethren and sistren by the mercies of God.  The key word being “mercy.”  Mercy is not getting what we deserve.  God saving us instead of pouring out His wrath on us for our sin.

Paul ends chapter 11 with a doxology of praise to God:  For from Him - God - and through Him and to Him are all things.  To Him be the glory forever.  Amen.

The source, means, and destination of everything is... God.  To God alone belongs all the glory.  It all testifies of Him.  Forever.

Grab some reality.  Who are you?  More importantly, Who is God?  We got nothing.  God is everything.  Life is about… God.

I appeal to you, brothers, because life is about God who has chosen us to know Him and to respond to Him by faith.  Not because we deserve all that.  But because God is merciful.  Because God is merciful therefore this is how you are to live by faith.  This is what living by faith looks like.

We’re together.?

Then at the end of verse 1 Paul writes:  which is your spiritual worship.  Paul comes to worship.  But notice he comes to worship through mercy.  Mercy is the means of worship.  “By the mercies of God.”  We need to be careful to understand significance of that.

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 our ancestors were told, ‘You must not murder…’  But I say, if you are even angry with someone, you are subject to judgment!  If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the court.  And if you curse someone you are in danger of the fires of hell.”  (Matthew 5:21-22 TNLT)

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.  There may be those rare times when I’m loving others more than self.  Maybe.

Jesus - same message - Sermon on the Mount - equates lust with adultery.  Anyone commit adultery this past week?  A little lust entertained in your thoughts?  Ask someone this afternoon while you’re watching the Super Bowl ads:  “Are you lusting?”

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.  Mercy is God taking pity on us.

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.

We need to think about who we’re 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 because He chooses to be merciful towards us.  Meaning that God enables us to be here to present ourselves to Him.

That reality ought to knock us off our little pedestals of pride and self-worth and our getting confused and thinking that worship is about us.

If we “get” the “by the mercies of God” part we might just begin to process the reality 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 - then we begin to come with the right heart attitude for worship.

Paul goes on in verse 1.  Three examples of how - heart level - we’re 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.”  Hugely reassuring.

We choose to present our bodies - ourselves to God.  That involves choice.  Will - trust - action.

Physically showing up “present” means that mentally we’ve made a heart level choice to step forward in faith and lay ourselves - all of who we are - on the altar in worship.

Second - Paul says that our presentation is “living.”  A sacrificed animal - sliced - diced - and Bar-B-Qued - it’s dead.  Really really dead.  It doesn’t get up again.  But we live.  We’re not zombies.  Most of us.

The problem with a living sacrifices is… they tend to crawl off the altar.  We have that tendency.  We need to keep choosing to stay on the altar through all the stuff of life.

Paul’s talking about the choices we make as we go through our days - choices to honor God - to turn towards God in faith - to honor God in the daily things of our lives.  To present our bodies as instruments of righteousness.

Instead of contemplating murder - mouths that speak words which encourage and build up and bring others to closer to God.  Instead of the selfishness of lust - 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, having “discussions” with our spouse, disciplining our children - all the daily things that living bodies do.  Maybe even watching the Super Bowl.  That might be a stretch.

Point being:  By choice these become acts of daily worship as we present ourselves to God to do in us and through us whatever He wills.

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

In the Old Testament - with the Tabernacle or the Temple - they set apart pots and utensils and furniture - things that were dedicated to God and only used in serving and worshiping God.  Sprinkled with the blood of some sacrificed animal.

1 Corinthians 6:20 says, “for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body.”

That price is the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ.  Come by faith to God through Jesus and God applies Jesus’ blood to our lives.  God - in Jesus - purifies us and He mercifully sets us apart - enables us - and allows us to worship Him.  Imagine - God Himself by His mercy sets us aside for His use.  God making us holy for His use.

Living sacrificial holy worship is giving to God what’s already His.  That means that it’s just wrong to hold back anything of ourselves from God’s work in us - and His glorifying Himself through us - whenever, wherever,  and in whatever way He chooses.  Total commitment.   Present yourselves.

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.”

It’s pure spiritual arrogance to think that we get ourselves up on Sunday morning - get 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… reasonably on time.  Or prayer.  Or Life Group.  Or AWANA.  Or… whatever.

We need to hear this:  Worship is our God given choice to daily commit all that we are to God - laying ourselves without reservation on the altar before Him - for His glory alone.

Paul writes - verse one - that kind of sacrifice is what’s “acceptable” to God.  It’s the kind of worship that God accepts.  It’s God’s expectation from our worship.  It pleases God.  It’s God enabled.  God led.  God focused.  Worship that’s all about… God.  God who is merciful towards us. 

Paul concludes verse 1 - that is our “spiritual worship.” 

Literally, in the original Greek the word for “spiritual” has the idea of doing what’s reasonable.  What makes logical sense.  The only rational response to the mercy of God.  Responding to all that God has done for us - Paul’s therefore of chapters 1 to 11 - the only logical choice in response to all that is worship - presenting ourselves - laying ourselves daily - moment by moment - on the altar for whatever God wills for our lives.

Worship is all about... God.  Not us.  To God be the glory.

Which makes a ton of sense as a place to start.  Doesn’t it?

Paul beginning his application section of his letter.  Beginning with worship.  Appealing to us that worship is about God - or should be.  Because way too easily we make worship about ourselves.

Worship - styles of worship - music - liturgy - ritual - how the Bible is taught or not - who gets to lead in worship - has been a divisive issue in the Church in the United States for a lot of years.  Divisive in a lot of places for a lot of years.

It’s not a stretch - given the diversity of the church in Rome that Paul’s writing to - that worship was an issue with them as well.  2,000 years of us struggling not to focus on ourselves in worship.

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 that?

Churches have multiple venues with multiple styles of worship with the same message being taught.  Like being a multiplex movie theater.   Up-tempo casual rock - edgy alternative - acoustical - praise and worship - and traditional.  Just choose your venue.  Or come early because the traditional service - think hymns for the old people - is at 9:00 and the contemporary service - think choruses for the middle-agers - is at 11.  Who gets the prime time slot at 11?  That divides us. 

How do we learn to “get along” in community - live like the Body of Christ - live by faith together - while we’re dividing over worship?  Worship that God has - by His mercy - called us to together - given us the ability - shown us how - to together focus on Him.

How huge is it that we process worship through the lens of God’s mercy?

Isaac Watts’ hymn - don’t hold that against me - Isaac Watt’s 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.

That’s worship.  Worship that transcends the pettiness of what we divide over.  Worship that triumphs over our egos and what we expect to get out of worship - what the worship experience is suppose to do for us.

That’s worship that brings us together.  That builds us up as the Body of Christ.  Enables us.  Empowers us to live by faith together as we focus not on ourselves but on God who alone is worthy of worship.  That’s worship that God uses to bring glory to Himself.

Coming to verse 2.  Paul goes on to give us some insight into how we get there - God glorifying - church unifying worship. 

Let’s read verse 2 again:  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.

To get this we need to get some definitions clear in our mind.

To be “conformed” is to be squeezed into a mold.  Anyone ever have one of these?  Same idea.  Squeezed into the form of the world.

“World” - the idea of “world” in the Bible is different than earth.  The earth is all about trees and weeds and dirt.  But the world is people.  Human philosophy and knowledge and culture.  People stuff.  What goes on between our ears and in our hearts and how all that comes out in how we process and interpret life and how we live together on planet earth.

“Transformed” is like Transformers only more so.  Caterpillars becoming  goo in a cocoon becoming butterflies - only more so.  Because being transformed is a God thing. 

Renewal in Greek means…  “renewal.”  Total make-over.  Complete renovation.  Made new in how we think.  Download and installation of a totally new operating system.  Windows 10 instead of Linux. 

When Paul says, “Don’t be conformed to this world” he’s talking about a whole lot more than whether we have a beer or play canasta on Tuesdays.  Paul is talking about how we process life.

The world is under the control of Satan - the Devil - our Adversary.  Satan who uses all that culture and philosophy and what we think we know - Satan using all that against us.  Ultimately to get us focused anywhere but on God.

When we’re conformed to this world it’s like looking at everything through a set of 3D glasses.  Like we get at the movies.  The whole world looks pretty amazing.  Captivating.  But it isn’t.  It looks that way because what we’re seeing the world through - processing life by - is those 3D glasses.  Ever peek and see how distorted what’s on the screen really is?

The word “conformed” in Greek is in the middle voice.  Which - hang on - there are three voices in Greek.  Active.  Middle.  And passive.  Active is what we actively do ourselves.  So we’re… active in what’s going on.  Passive is what we have done to us.  So we’re… passive.  We’re doing nothing.   Middle is in between.  In the… middle.  Meaning that it’s done to us by someone else and yet we participate or cooperate in that doing.  

Meaning that when we choose to do life by our own whit, wisdom, and working - focused on ourselves - living by faith in ourselves and not God - Satan uses that, kind a like putting 3D glasses on us, so that in our thinking about things - how we process life and interpret all that - is based on - conforms to how the world - under the control of Satan - how the world understands and philosophizes life.  Not God.

Meaning when we look at what’s going on in the Middle East or a presidential election or the stock market tanking or stuff in community or our families - even our marriages - whatever we’re going through - if we’re trying figure all that out on own - by faith in our own understanding of things - we’re just being conformed in our thinking - being molded -  to see what really is a Satan inspired distortion of what’s really going on and thinking that’s the way it really is.  Welcome to Satan’s wonderful world of deception and lies and fear and uncertainty and hopelessness. 

Transformed is in the passive voice which means we’re… passive.  Being transformed is something that someone else does to us and we don’t participate in that.  We yield to it.

God transforming us is a God thing.  Which is a good thing.   Because we would surely mess up the transformation process if were left to us.

Paul is talking about what God does within us - as we let go of our pride and self-sufficient delusion - what God does within us as we yield our lives to Him - laying down and staying on the altar - what God does within us so that how we process life is radically different - transformed from being conformed to the world and Satan’s delusions - transformed to what is total God enabled renewal of the mind.  A radically different processing of life.

The only way to really understand life - the meaning of life - what’s right and what’s wrong - who we are and how to respond to what’s going on around us - how to really live life - the only way to really understand life is not through the lens of Satan’s deception but through the truth of God’s word - what God says about life in the Bible and the truth of God on display in Jesus.

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 - our worship - it tears us apart - leads to heartache and ruin and disaster. 

Ultimately there are two ways to live life.  The world’s version of life is something like:  “My life is my own to live as I please.”  That runs into conflict with what Scripture teaches:  “My life is God’s to do with as He pleases.”  Either our life is about God or it isn’t.  There really isn’t any grey area in between.

Paul writes, “but be transformed by the renewal 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 transforming us as we present ourselves before Him in worship.

The result Paul says is that by testing we discern - we come to understand - that what God wills - what God by His love, grace, and mercy is doing in His creation - what God says about life and how to live it - all that stands up against whatever test gets thrown up against it.  God’s will is always good.  Always acceptable.  Always perfect.

Living by faith in God is the only way to do life.

Processing all that...

Many, many, many years ago the great theologian and philosopher Rodney King - in the midst of 3 days of rioting and chaos and killing and rage and unrestrained hatred and opportunistic violence and communities coming apart a the seems.  What has become a way too familiar sight in America these days.  Rodney King coined these immortal words:  “Can we all just get along?”

Words that stick in our brains because we wish we could.  Way too often we don’t.

In the world we live in - with all our communicating - texting and tweeting and twittering and pinteresting - 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.  Our communities are broken.  Families - if there is a family - families are broken.

We sort of do virtual pretty well.  But we crave real.

“Can we all just get along?” are words that are a cry echoed in many homes and relationships - between nations - in neighborhoods.  Even in the church.

Way too many people are totally turned off to the church because they’ve seen the hypocrisy of God’s people treating God’s people ungodly.  Many of us have experienced toxic church.

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.

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 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.

Meaning, if the church can get along - if we can genuinely love each other - hang in there with each other - be used by God in each other’s lives - we really do have a message of hope for our homes and our relationships and this world that we live in.

Worship is really at the bottom line core of all that.  Worship responding to God - worship focused on God - not us - should draw us together into oneness as the Body of Christ - as the church.

Put slightly different:  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.

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Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.