SURRENDER THEN SERVICE
ROMANS 12:1-8
I. INTORDUCTION: TALK ABOUT THE SONG I SURRENDER ALL. WE SIGN IT A LOT BUT WE REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS. (EXBOUND).
II. WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS, LAST WEEK WE DISCUSSED PAUL DEALING WITH THE PROBLEMS OF THE ABUSE OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS IN THE CORINTHIAN CHURCH.
III. TODAY PAUL IS WRITING TO THE MANY HOUSE CHURCHES THAT WERE IN ROME.
IV. THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK OF ROMANS WAS TO UNIFY THESE MANY HOUSE CHURCHES AND TO GIVE THEM AN UNDERSTANDING OF DOCTRINAL EXPLANATIONS.
V. IN THIS SECTION OF ROMANS WE GO BEYOND JUST UNDERSTANDING DOCTRINE. PAUL IS TELLING US THAT OUR LEARNING MUST TRANSLATE INTO LIVING.
VI. PAUL WAS WRITING TO CHRISTIANS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF LOCAL CHURCHES.
VII. HE DESCRIBED THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO EACH OTHER IN TERMS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BODY.
VIII. BASIC IDEA IS THAT EACH BELIEVER IS A LIVING PART OF CHRISTS BODY, AND EACH ONE HAS A SPIRITUAL FUNCTION TO PERFORM. THIS IS NOT DIFFERENT TODAY.
IX. EACH BELIEVER HAS A GIFT FOR GIFTS TO BE USED FOR THE BUILDING UP OF THE BODY. IN OTHER WORDS, WE BELONG TO EACH OTHER, WE MINISTER TO EACH OTHER AND WE NEED EACH OTHER.
X. THINGS HAVE NOT CHANGED IN THOUSANDS OF YEARS. THESE WRITINGS OF PAUL IN ROMANS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT TO US TODAY AS THEY WERE THEN, AND THIS PASSAGE GIVES US AN IDEA OF THE STEPS WE MUST TAKE TO HAVE A RIGHT RELATIONSHIP TO GOD AND TO ONE ANOTHER.
CONNECTION SENTENCE: AS WE TAKE A LOOK AT OUR TEXT THE FIRST THING WE SEE THAT MUST COME FIRST IS THIS:
I. WE MUST SURRENDER TO GOD. VERSE 1.
A. KEY: PRESENT YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE.
B. BEFORE WE TRUSTED CHRIST WE USED OUR BODY FOR SINFUL PLEASURES AND PURPOSES.
C. BUT NOW THAT WE BELONG TO HIM, WE WANT TO USE OUR BODY FOR HIS GLORY.
D. THIS MEANS OUR WHOLE BEING, NOT JUST PARTS OF US. ALL THAT WE ARE AND ALL THAT WE HAVE MUST BE GIVEN TO GOD.
E. THERE ARE TWO LIVING SACRIFICES IN THE BIBLE AND THEY HELP US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS REALLY MEANS.
F. THE FIRST IS ISAAC IN GENESIS 22. ISAAC WILLING PUT HIMSELF ON THE ALTAR AND WOULD HAVE DIED IN OBEDIENCE TO GODS WILL, BUT THE LORD SENT A RAM TO TAKE HIS PLACE.
G. ISAAC DIED TO SELF AND WILLINGLY YIELDED HIMSELF TO THE WILL OF GOD.
H. HAVE YOU DONE THAT TODAY? (EXBOUND).
I. IT SAYS HOLY AND ACCEPTABLE TO GOD. THIS TELLS US THAT WE MUST BE CLEAN VESSELS.
J. BEFORE WE CAN SERVE GOD AND UNDERSTAND THE WILL OF GOD FOR OUR LIVES, WE MUST SURRENDER TO HIM. LIVING A LIFE THAT IS HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD.
K. ARE YOU LIVING A LIFE THAT IS HOLY AND PLEASING TO GOD? GOD WON’T USE A DIRTY VESSEL. GOD WILL NOT HONOR A LIFE OF SIN AND A LIFE THAT IS NOT SURRENDERED TO HIM.
CONNECTION SENTENCE: NOW THAT WE HAVE SEEN THAT WE MUST SURRENDER THE NEXT THING WE SEE IS:
II. HOW DO WE SURRENDER. VERSE 2.
A. YOU GIVE HIM YOUR MIND.
B. THE WORLD WANTS TO CONTROL YOUR MIND, BUT GOD WANTS TO TRANSFORM YOUR MIND.
C. THE WORD TRANSFORM MEANS METAMORPHIS. IT MEANS A CHANGE FROM WITHIN.
D. THE WORLD WANTS TO CHANGE YOUR MIND, SO IT PUTS PRESSURE ON US FROM WITHOUT.
E. BUT THE HOLY SPIRIT CHANGES YOUR MIND BY RELEASING POWER FROM WITHIN.
F. WITHOUT SALVATION, YOU DON’T HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT INDWELLING IN YOU.
G. THE WORD CONFORMED MEANS TO BE CONTROLLED BY THE WORLDS THINKING.
H. IF THE WORLD CONTROLS YOUR THINKING YOU ARE A CONFORMER, IF GOD CONTROLS YOUR THINKING, YOU ARE A TRANSFORMER.
I. WHICH ONE ARE YOU TODAY, A CONFORMER OR A TRANSFORMER?
J. WE ALSO SURRENDER BY GIVING HIM YOUR WILL.
K. WE SURRENDER OUR WILLS TO GOD THROUGH DISCIPLINED PRAYER.
L. WE MUST PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING AND LET GOD HAVE HIS WAY IN EVERYTHING.
M. WE UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF PRAYER.
N. DO YOU HAVE AN ACTIVE PRAYER LIFE? WITHOUT THIS YOU CAN’T BE TOTALLY SURRENDERED TO GOD.
CONNECTION SENTENCE: NOW THAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED THE FACT THAT WE MUST BE SURRENDERED TO GOD BEFORE WE CAN SERVE WE SEE THIS:
III. HOW WE SERVE. VERSE 3.
A. PAUL IS MOVING ON INTO A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS.
B. WE MUST NOT SERVE WITH PRIDE OR ARROGANTLY.
C. PAUL WAS FULLY AWARE FO THE DEVASTATING CONSEQUENCES OF PRIDE IN ANY GROUP OF BELIEVERS.
D. HE CAUTIONED THE CHRISTIANS AT ROME AND TO US TODAY NOT TO THINK OF THEMSELVES TOO HIGHLY.
E. KEY: SOBER JUDGMENT. THIS IS A METHAPHOR THAT PAUL USES. IT SUGGESTS INTOXICATION. PAUL WAS SAYING THEY WERE IN DANGER OF BECOMING EGOHOLICS.
F. A CHRISTIANS COMMITMENT TO GOD AND HIS CHANGED LIFESTYLE IS DEMONSTRATED IN EXERCISING HIS OR HER SPIRTUAL GIFTS IN THE BODY.
G. AN ARROGANT VIEW OF ONESELF IS OUT OF PLACE IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE. WE MUST FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS.
H. WHAT PAUL IS SAYING IS THAT HUMAN PRIDE IS WRONG BECAUSE ALL ABILITIES AND SPIRITUAL GIFTS THAT YOU AND I HAVE ARE FROM GOD, NOT US, THEY ARE GIVEN BY GRACE.
I. KEY: MEASURE OF FAITH. GOD HAS GIVEN EACH BELIEVER SOME FAITH BY WHICH TO SERVE HIM.
J. THIS MEASURE REFERS TO GODS SOVEREIGNLY GIVEN GIFTS.
K. THESE GIFTS ARE NOT FROM US OR FROM INTENSE PRAYER GOD GAVE US THESE GIFTS SO EACH PERSON CAN STRENGTHEN AND SERVE THE BODY, THE CHURCH.
L. ARE YOU ONE THAT IS USING YOUR GIFTS TO STRENGTHEN THE BODY? OR ARE YOU DOING NOTHING TO SERVE THE LORD AND TO STRENGTHEN THE BODY.
M. TODAY I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHANGE THAT.
CONNECTION SENTENCE: NOW GOING BEYOND HOW WE SERVE WE GO DEEPER AND SEE THIS:
IV. WHY WE SERVE. VERSES 4-5
A. TO SERVE THE BODY, NOT THE BODY TO SERVE THE MEMBERS.
B. SO MANY TIMES WE HAVE A SERVE US ATTITUDE INSTEAD OF A SERVICE ATTITUDE.
C. VERSE 5: KEY: ONE BODY IN CHRIST. WE SERVE TO PROMOTE UNITY IN THE BODY.
D. YES WE HAVE DIVERSE GIFTS, THE MEMBERS DO NOT ALL HAVE THE SAMD FUNCTION, BUT WE MUST SERVE WITH UNITY. ONE BODY UNITED IN CHRIST TO FURTHER HIS KINGDOM.
E. THE CHRISTIAN FAITH IS A CORPORATE EXERCISE, WE DO IT TOGETHER.
F. THIS IS WHAT IS CALLED KOINONIA, IT IS A GREEK WORD WHICH MEANS THE PRACTICAL EXPRESSION OF GODS LOVE TOWARD HIS PEOPLE.
G. TRUE KOINONIA CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN ONE PLACE, THE LOCAL CHURCH.
H. NOWHERE ELSE IS GODS LOVE DISPLAYED AND EXPERIENCED MORE DEEPLY THAN IN THE MIDST OF HIS PEOPLE AS THEY GATHER TOGETHER.
I. I BELIEVE IN THE LOCAL CHURCH, GOD DELIGHTS TO SEE HIS CHILDREN GATHERING FOR WORSHIP. TO SEE BELIEVERS WALK WITH ONE ANOTHER AND HELPING EACH MEMBER GROW IN CHRIST.
J. DO YOU BELIEVE IN THE LOCAL CHURCH? DO YOUR ACTIONS REFLECT THIS? (EXBOUND ABOUT FAITHFULLNESS) SUNDAY SCHOOL, BIBLE STUDIES, TIMES OF FELLOWSHIP.
K. GOD NEVER MEANT US TO BE LONE RANGER CHRISTIANS. WE NEED ONE ANOTHER.
L. EACH MEMBER HAS COME TO FAITH BY A SEPARATE AND INDIVIDUAL ACT OF FAITH, THE BELIEVING COMMUNITY, THE CHURCH, LIVES OUT ITS CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE IN FELLOWSHIP WITH ONE ANOTHER.
CONNECTION SENTENCE: AS WE MOVE ON WE SEE THIS NEXT:
V. HOW WE USE THESE GIFTS. VERSES 6-8
A. THESE GIFTS ARE GIVEN TO US BY GOD.
B. KEY: TO THE GRACE GIVEN TO US. VERSE 6.
C. GIFTS COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD CHARISMATA. IT CAN BE TRANSLATED AS GRACE OR FREE GIFT.
D. IT IS WHAT THE SPIRIT OF GOD GIVES YOU AT THE MOMENT OF SALVATION.
E. PAUL LISTED SEVEN GIFTS. THESE GIFTS ARE IRREVOCABLE, THAT MEANS THEY CAN’T BE TAKEN AWAY AND THEY DO NOT CHANGE.
F. ROMANS 11:29 FOR THE GIFTS AND THE CALLING OF GOD ARE IRREVOCABLE.
G. EACH GIFT IS DIFFERENT BUT IS TO BE USED TO BUILD UP AND MINISTER TO THE BODY.
H. SO MANY PEOPLE GET CAUGHT UP IN WHAT ARE CALLED THE SIGN GIFTS, SPEAKING IN TONGUES IS THE ONE MOST REFERRED TO.
I. EVERYONE OF THESE GIFTS LISTED WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF PROPHESYING IS NOT A SIGN GIFT. SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL US ABOUT THESE GIFTS. THAT THEY ARE IMPORTANT.
J. PROPHECY. VERSE 6: THIS IS NOT DEALING WITH END TIME EVENTS. THIS IS A SPEAKING GIFT. COMMUNICATING GODS MESSAGE TO STRENGTHEN, ENCOURAGE AND COMFORT.
K. THIS IS TO BE DONE IN PROPORTION TO OUR FAITH. TO GODS PROVISION OF THE FAITH AND POWER TO MATCH THE GIFT.
L. THE OTHER SIX GIFTS MENTIONED HERE ARE: SERVICE, TEACHING, EXHORTING WHICH IS ENCOURAGING, CONTRIBUTING, LEADERSHIP AND SHOWING MERCY.
M. THESE ARE TO BE DONE WITH GENEROSITY, DILIGENTLY AND TO BE DONE CHEERFULLY.
N. EVERYONE OF THESE GIFTS IS NEEDED IN THE CHURCH, EASTSIDE IS NO EXCEPTION. (EXBOUND). WORK TO BE DONE.
CONCLUSION: SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE TOOLS TO BUILD WITH, NOT TOYS TO PLAY WITH.
IF YOU ARE A TRUE CHILD OF GOD, YOU HAVE BEEN GIVENA SPIRITUAL GIFT AS AN ACT OF GRACE BY GOD.
HAVE YOU DISCOVERED WHAT YOUR GIFT IS? ARE YOU USING YOUR GIFT TO BUILD UP THE BODY AND TO SERVE GOD?
BUT DEEPER THAN THAT, HAVE YOU SURRENDERED TO GOD, HAVE YOU SURRENDERED YOUR ALL, YOUR BODY AND YOUR MIND TO HIM, SO THAT YOU CAN SERVE HIM PROPERLY.
DO YOU KNOW HIM AS YOUR LORD AND SAVIOR? IF YOU DON’T CHANGE THAT THIS MORNING. SO THAT YOU CAN LIVE ETERNALLY WITH HIM IN HEAVEN AND BE ABLE TO USE THE GIFTS HE WILL GIVE YOU TO SERVE THE BODY.
