Rebels with A Cause: Die to Yourself? (Romans 12:1-8)

• 600+ commands
• Jesus asked ? – most important (Mk. 12:28-31)
• Love God -vertical (Romans 1-11) & Love People -horizontal (Romans 12-16)
• You either use God/people or love God/people
• We will determine what kind of church we will be

Die to Yourself and Live for God

Romans 11:36-12:1 To him be glory forever. Amen. 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.

• Old Covenant – a sacrifice is killed
• New Covenant – a sacrifice lives

Worship Myths

• Worship is for XN’s
• Worship starts and stops.
• Worship happens in church.
• Worship is only a genre of music.
• Worship is for women and children, but not real men.

“COOPERATIVE COMMANDS”

1.    Glory: Who/what weighs heaviest in your life?

2.    Amen: What team are you on & cheering for?

3.    Living Sacrifice: Who/what do you make the biggest sacrifices for (time, money, energy, thought, etc.)?

Body Care – health, wellness, stewardship, life

·         WE WORSHIP OUR WAY INTO TROUBLE. (alcohol, sex, $, codep, food = comfort)

·         WE WORSHIP OUR WAY OUT OF TROUBLE

Worship with your Head

Romans 12:² 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.

Option #1. Conformed – external (education, media, social media, teen yrs, single,

• Flesh & World

Option #2. Informed – internal HS new mind

• Rom. 7-8 Flesh/World vs Spirit/Kingdom

Gal 5:16-26 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

• Christians & the Church are a minority subculture/a counter culture
• God wants mindful XN’s, NOT mindless XN’s. = shallow & emotional
• Many/most things are not God’s will
• Sail (emotion) vs Rudder (mind) = FIND GOD’S WILL

Worship with your Heart

Romans 12:³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.

Humility – knowing your place

You cannot be healing or healthy without serving

Under authority and in authority

Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her

Worship with your Hands

Romans 12:⁴ For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, ⁵ so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. ⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; ⁷ if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; ⁸ the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

1 Corinthians 12:8–10; 12:28; Romans 12:6–8; Ephesians 4:11; and 1 Peter 4:11

• Body = Church analogy (1. Unity 2. Mutuality 3. Dependency)

1. Different gifts
2. Different degrees of gifting
3. Different gift mixes

-Find by trial & error, other people help you discern (Good at? Enjoy? Passionate?)

-Anything that is in ministry service empowered by the Holy Spirit

-People have a gift. People are the gift.

1. Prophecy – foretell & forthtell – bold, supernatural authority, strong reaction
2. Serving – behind the scenes, help however is needed
3. Teaching – understand, translate, communicate the Bible
4. Exhortation/Encouragement – put courage in (hope & faith)
5. Generosity – joy in meeting needs, looking for needs to meet
6. Leadership – calling the shots & taking the shots
7. Mercy – compassion/empathy, ministry of presence (hurting people)

= all cheerfulness (Greek word for hilarious)

Thank you!