Dedication, Building Dedication

1)
Based on the background of sacrifice Paul in Romans 12.1 calls for a response to all that Jesus Christ did.

Paul calls it our reasonable service.
In the RSV service is translated as Worship.

The original usage for service meant to work as a laboring man who gives his strength to an employer in return for pay.
It does not mean slavery, but a voluntary understanding of work
The word eventually came to generally mean to serve.
And later to that which a man gives his whole life.

In the Bible it is never used to speak of human service, it instead always is the word of service to and worship of God.

Another word we learned about worship not long ago was Shachah(Shaw-Khaw)
To bow, to bow down, prostrate one self.
So it is an offering or sacrifice of oneself before God.

True dedicated worship is the offering of ones’ body to God.
Dedication to God is more than just today then. It would be a living sacrifice. And every day ongoing surrender of life and lifestyle.

Many today give God leftovers and second best. They mean little to the giver and even less the recipient.

Our reasonable service is based upon what Paul has discussed in the preceding Chapters.

According to His immeasurable mercies it causes us to ask how shall we who have been justified (made innocent) by grace respond in our everyday lives?

This passage is a clarion call to dedication, commitment and consecration.

Unwavering Dedication

A. Sacrifice
“Present your bodies a living sacrifice.”
1) “Present once for all; commands a definite commitment of the body to the Lord.”
2) Why should we do this it is our reasonable response to all that God has done.
Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers.”

Philippians 1.20 “According to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or death.”
In the temple God had a dwelling place, In his son a body, and now with Jesus’ ascension we are the body!
Dr Johnny Hunt, “It is as though the Lord Jesus is saying, “I need the body, for that is the vehicle through which I show forth my life.”
(What kind of life, eternal, and abundant.)


So it is a divine call to sacrifice our bodies for the service of God for the purpose of showing eternal and abundant life!!
(We need to answer this call because most people see temporal and empty life in Christians today)

B. Service (Obedience)

In the OT as well as the new the word translated service can be translated worship
1) Old awbad’ to work to serve.
2) New lat-ri’-ah service rendered for hire
any service or ministration: the service of God the service and worship of God according to the requirements of the Levitical law
3) Acceptable
Euarestos—Well pleasing acceptable
4) Reasonable
Logical outcome of acceptance of God’s immeasurable mercies.
Rational –

In our irrational world based on self it would be something for us to truly serve god with all our hearts

It would make God rational and logical to those around us.

C. Ceremony (Praise)
(too much focus on form and not function)
1) Paul knew there would be people that would take part in the