MPC 16th July 2006.July 16 - Romans 12 - "The God-Pleasing Life"
Garnet Swann MPC 16th July 2006.
All for the sake of getting into some decent health, Kirsty and I this week started going for walks before breakfast. We did our first 3 walks in the week. We'll see how long we keep it up. Now we don't even go far but what I've noticed is that when we finally come around the corner to our street - puffing as we push the pram for the kids - there's a sense of relief that we're nearly there. The hard work is behind us and now we can get inside - have my cup of coffee - put in the sugar, butter my toast, and start to undo all the good work we've been doing. But there's that sense of relief that the hard work is done.
And this morning as we again look at Paul's letter to the Christian church in Rome, I think we've got to that point where a lot of us can breathe a sense of relief - that we've finally worked through a lot of the hard/theological stuff of the letter and come to the more practical part of - how to live.
That's the way Romans works - chapters 1-11 is all about how Jew and Gentile people are made right with God through Jesus. There's been some deep stuff there. If you were here last week - you'd remember there was some really deep stuff in chapters 9-11. But now from chapter 12 to the end - it changes. He now moves on to the more down-to-earth practical stuff of how to live as Christian people.
If you don't feel the relief, as the preacher I certainly do!
Now there's relief, but let me also say, as we come to this part of Romans - it's also hard. Hard not because it's hard to understand - but hard because it actually is about how to live. It's all about our attitude and behavior - how we're going in the Christian life. What we're going to do is learn and be reminded - just how radical and life changing being a Christian really is.
Today we're looking at chapter 12. Last week it was 90 verses. This week it's ony 21 verses - more relief there for us. But what chapter 12 does - is really give for us the overall shape of Christian living. And in just a couple of areas - shows us what Christian living should look like.
As you can see in your outline. The 3 points are:
But firstly - Christian living is motivated by God's mercy.
Now those two words God's mercy are there in v1.
And God's mercy is what we've discovered so far in Romans.
God's mercy shown as he offers the free gift of Jesus' sacrifice for sinful people. God's mercy shown in that He freely chooses disobedient people to belong to him.
I heard the story of a couple who on the way to church one morning had a fight in the car. I hear that can happen sometimes. But they were there in church and the first song was Amazing Grace. They were singing along. And they got into the line 'Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound. That saves a wretch - like you!'
But that's what we've been learning - God saves wretched people like us. Through Jesus, God's mercy comes to us.
But what we notice is that as Paul starts talking about practical Christian living - it takes place as a consequence of God's mercy. As a result of God's mercy. As it has there, in view of God's mercy.
See - what drives, what motivates Christian living? - the mercy of God.
We need to be very clear on this. Because all sorts of unhelpful motivations can be at work. Wrong motivations.
During our holidays in Canberra I caught up with an old friend of mine. We used to meet up to read the bible and pray. He was heavily involved in Christian things. Really keen. Top bloke. But I caught up with him - knowing that recently he'd stopped being a Christian - because he realized for himself his motivation was to simply to fit into the circumstances around him - with his Christian family and Christian friends. He realized, being Christian for him really was just the path of least resistance. A wrong motivation. But least he came to realise it.
Another common wrong motivation is living in order to receive God's love. Straining in the Christian life in order to make yourself deserving of God. This is getting it round the wrong way - rather than Christian living as a response to God's mercy - doing things in order to generate God's mercy and get into his good books. It's a very burdensome way to live. And it'll get you nowhere. Nothing we can do can make us good enough for God.
But these are the sort of false motivations that can be at work.
Living the Christian life in order to please people. Living the Christian life in order to earn God's mercy. But Real Christian living comes as a thankful response to knowing God's mercy. That's the way true and persevering and joyous Christian living is going to come about.
Well, if Christian living is motivated by God's mercy, what I want us to see now is that the Christian living that's produced, actually extends to all of life.
And we see this also in v1 - "in view of God's mercy, offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God - this is your spiritual act of worship."
Christian living is giving our whole bodies - our whole selves to God. It says offer your bodies as living sacrifices. There's no holding back here. There's no compartmentalizing between this part of my life which is about living the Christian life, living to please God, and this part which is my own private life. We're to live as living sacrifices it says - always giving ourselves over to God in service - living the holy life, the God-pleasing life.
If our response to God's mercy is to offer our bodies as living sacrifices - then the Christian life is not lived just on a Sunday morning and a Wednesday night at Growth Group. Rather - it's lived as the parent does the helping thing yet again of cooking dinner for the family and spending half the night awake caring of sick kids. It's lived out in your attitude as you drive through peak hour traffic on the way to work. It's about the sort of language you'll use. It's about the honesty you display in filling out your tax return. It's about your willingness to join your growth group to clean the church building and scrub down the toilets. Just at the moment I was preparing these words on Friday - another spam email came through on my computer.
And this one said - "You can now download any full-length XXX DVD without any fuss or problems. You can watch from your PC screen. You're just a couple of clicks away from a paradise of downloadable DVD porn!" Offering your body as living sacrifices - holy and pleasing to God - is refusing to make those clicks.
As we know the mercy of God to us - Jesus Christ offered for us - our response is to offer ourselves for obedience and service.
And just notice that phrase - 'this is your spiritual act of worship'. This is worship. Thinking that singing in church is worship is not enough. Thinking that coming to church on a Sunday is not enough. The other day a Christian person who I met for the first time asked me the question, "Where do you worship?" I knew what they meant so I politely said 'Mitchelton Presbyterian Church'. But the cheeky part of me wanted to say - "Planet Earth, most often in and around Brisbane, Australia".
But - in response to God's mercy - we give our whole bodies, our whole selves over to God to serve him and be obedient to him. And this is what it means to worship God.
Well, - let's keep moving. And this is where the passage takes us into some detail. If Christian living is motivated by God's mercy. If Christian living is all of life. In particular it's not about conforming but transforming - being transformed in the way that we think and behave.
We see this is v2 - Do not conform any longer to the pattern of the world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you'll be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.
The difference between conforming and transforming is pretty easy to work out. Conforming is when a car is shipped over from the US and needs to be converted to right hand steering. Transforming is when that car is stripped and melted down to make a sculpture for the park.
Conforming is about fitting in. Transforming is about being totally different. And this is what true Christian living is - being counter cultural. Doing what's different. Doing the thing which is holy and pleasing to God - even when all those around you do the opposite.
And this is what the passage goes on to talk about. In 3 different areas - the rest of the chapter talks about what you should avoid in conforming and what you should do in your transforming.
Firstly - not superior independence but mutual dependence. And this is the issue of v3-8. It says,
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Here Paul warns against an attitude within our church which conforms to this world. Thinking yourself better than others. Thinking of yourself too highly. Having that judgmental attitude of "no one here is as good as me".
But it says - have sober judgment. Think of yourself in the right way. And the right way of thinking is to realise that you're joined to those of your Christian family. You share the same faith, we're all members of the same body.
And as the passage goes on - it talks about the way we can use various gifts for the benefit of the body. Prophecy, serving, teaching, encouraging, giving, leading, compassion.
Now I don't think this list is totally complete, but it's pretty inclusive. Serving - that includes a lot of things. Encouraging - this is my ad for the Women's Weekend which is about 'Everyday Encouragement'. Giving - giving in money, but also giving with that rare commodity - time. Compassion - practically helping those in need. Maybe you don't have every one of these gifts. But I reckon you can fit at least one. And I think when it comes to gifts - rather than worrying about whether I have that gift or not, and holding back because I'm not sure if I have the gift of 'giving someone a lift to church' - just do it. Do what Nike says - "Just do it." And in that way you are helping your Christian family.
Can I say - I'm tremendously impressed by the ways people at MPC use their time and talents for the benefit of others. And I'm more aware than most others what goes on around the place, but even I can tell it's like an iceberg - a lot more is there than I see.
But let's keep at this. None of us are higher-up than the rest. We all belong to each other. So let's exercise our gifts for the benefit of each other.
Well, as we look at what it means to be not conforming but transforming - this passage gives us more detail. And what it goes on to say, and this is my summary statement - we're not to be indifferent to the needs within our Christian family, but we're to wholeheartedly love them.
And this is verses 9-16. Now as I read these verses - it's an assortment of commands but I really think they're all to do with this overarching theme of love. I'm just going to touch on a few of them. Grab the ones that connect with you.
V9 - Love must be sincere. When you say things mean it. If you say to your Christian brother or sister - 'we'll have you over for dinner'. Then do it. That sort of insincerity belongs to the world. If you say 'I'll pray for you' Then do it. Don't use words to convey love but then contradict it by not acting. Love must be sincere.
OR - V13 - Share with God's people who are in need. Get on the on-call care team meals roster to help mums who've just had a baby. Or get on-call care team car transport sheet. There's a practical need advertised in today notice sheet. Think of the needs that are there with the people in your growth group - what help can you offer them. Share with God's people who are in need.
Or - V13 - Practice hospitality. It doesn't mean entertaining and trying to impress with your best Donna Hay creations. Just welcome them into your home - and get to know them and give them the chance to know you. I guarantee - if you can bare to make your most basic spagbol - those you invite over will appreciate it. Practice hospitality.
As I said - that's just a bit of a grab bag. Grab what's helpful for you. But all these things are about loving your Christian brothers and sisters. I encourage you to step out. Take a practical step to demonstrate love. It's always worth it.
OK. Well, in our look at what it means to be not conforming but transforming. We've seen that there should not be superior independence but mutual dependence. Not indifference but wholehearted Love. And now - in this last section of the chapter v19-21. Not seeking revenge but leaving it to God.
This is from v19:
Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. "On the contrary: If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."
You know, when your boss treats you unfairly - you count the ways that he might be embarrassingly and publicly sacked. When that young guy tailgates your for a kilometer and then give you the finger - you dream up dastardly ways that his wheels might fall off.
But too often we at least imagine being the vigilante - settling the score, getting our retribution. But we're not to tread on God's territory. He's the judge who will right wrongs. "Do not take revenge but leave room for God's wrath" we are told.
And I think this is particularly a word for those who would really do evil against us. Perhaps the one who attacks us for being a Christian.
We're not to seek revenge. That's the conforming thing to do. But we're to serve them, help them, love them. This is the transforming thing to do.
Notice what it says in v21 - Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. That's the two options. If you seek revenge - you're actually giving into evil's influence - adding to evil in the world. But to do good - is the way of putting a stop to evil's influence.
We need to leave judgment and retribution to God. That's his job. What we're called to do is to love - even our enemies.
Well, that's our look at not conforming - but being transformed -
Not superior independence but mutual dependence, and
Not indifference but wholehearted love, and
Not seeking revenge but leaving it to God.
As I said at the start - Romans 12 is the start of the "easy" bit. But it's hard, isn't it? It's hard because Christian living is revolutionary. Christian living is counter-cultural. But this is where 'it's at' for all who are followers of Jesus. Both as we sit here in this building on a Sunday morning and as we drive away in our cars to live out our weeks - what we're talking about is the serving/obedient Christian life, the life of worship. And what makes this life possible, what gives us the desire, the drive, the motivation to live this way - is knowing the mercy of God. God has been so loving and kind to us. Jesus demonstrates God's mercy to us. And so - how can we help but want to live out this holy and pleasing life to God.