Think - [Romans 12]

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There's this book that was written a while ago called The Christian Mind. The thesis in chapter 1 by Henry Blamers was there's no longer a
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Christian mind. That we don't think like we should, we emote and we feel.
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Today we're going to talk about the importance of thinking critically, thinking biblically.
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Thomas Watson was the founder of IBM and since 1914 he had a framed placard in his office with one word and it was the word, think.
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Henry Ford said, thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it.
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Along those humorous lines one man said, use your brains, it's the little things in life that count.
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George Bernard Shaw, only 5 % of people think, only 15 % think they think, the other 80 % would rather die than think.
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The probable reason one man said some people get lost in thought is because it is unfamiliar territory to them.
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Christianity is a religion that requires your mind. Remember Jesus quoting the great
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Shema, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and then he adds in mind, not because he's messing with scripture but because for the
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Jew the soul included the mind. To love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
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Remember the old commercial, your mind is a terrible thing, what, to waste.
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We need to think, of course feelings are fine but let's turn our Bibles to Romans chapter 12 to focus on Christian thinking.
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If I could use the phrase thinking Christianly, how should a Christian think?
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When the world touts open minds, is that what we're supposed to do? When the world touts relativism, is that how we're supposed to think?
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It is good for us to consider Christian thinking, it might just be the most important thing about you, how do you think about God?
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Now early on I've taught you the paradigm that theology, a doctrine about God, leads to proper methodology, practical thinking, practical doing, which then leads to what?
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Doxology, thinking about God, theology, leads to the right methodology, which leads to the right doxology, praise.
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That's true but Paul changes it here in the book of Romans. Right thinking about God's word, theology, 1 to 11, leads to doxology, praise, chapter 11 verses 33 to 36 and then we come to a corner in chapter 12, the right practical outflow.
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So here it's theology drives to doxology and with the right doxology you live the
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Christian life and it starts with your mind. Now let's take a look at Romans chapter 12, let me show you a few words that have the word mind in it so you'll say to yourself, yes in fact this is about the
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Christian mind, thinking properly, Isaac Watt says, we're the whole realm of nature mind that we're an offering far too small, love so amazing, love so divine, demands my soul, my life, my all and it starts with the mind.
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Look at Romans chapter 12 verse 1 and see if you can pick out the words that relate to thinking or the mind.
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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,
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ESV says spiritual but the word really is reasonable, our logical service, our worship.
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Do not be conformed to this world, verse 2, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect, verse 3, for by the grace given to me
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I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think with sober thinking or judgment each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.
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And then finally verse 17, almost the book end of the chapter, repay no one evil for evil but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all.
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Christian thinking is very important and so now let's take a look at Romans chapter 12.
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Let me give you 7 ways that you should think in light of the first 11 chapters.
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To think in a Christian fashion to please the Lord Jesus and we'll look at 7 of them this morning.
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Number 1, think logically or I could put it this way, think rationally.
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It all starts with right thinking. Paul has given us tons of doctrine, now what are we to do?
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We're to think properly. I just read it but let me read it again. Verse 1, think logically or rationally,
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I appeal to you therefore, he doesn't say I order you, I'm an apostle but this is very pastoral,
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I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, those mercies in chapters 1 -11, we have no righteousness,
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Jesus Christ earns righteousness for us. God the Father says his work is so great, he raises him from the dead, our sins credited to Christ's account, his righteousness credited to our account.
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In light of all that, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual, best translation is logical or rational, it's a word that we get the mind from that, service or worship.
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And so here's what Paul does, just for a second if you're a Christian, think back for a moment and think about what you really deserve, think about what you've earned, think about the seeds of sin that you've planted and then the seeds of the crop that have sprouted out and then you think
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God is so holy, God is so just and God is so perfect, I deserve hell,
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I deserve his wrath, I deserve perdition and yet what has God given me in Christ Jesus?
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I have forgiveness, I'm no longer a person who is under the condemnation of God, I've been justified by God, how many sins does it take for you to be banished forever in hell?
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One and yet God has forgiven us not just of the one but the many and if God has done all that, how should you respond?
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It would be irrational, it would be illogical for you to go, nah, doesn't affect me, you'd be more like King Nebuchadnezzar if you thought that way.
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Now with paganism, paganism says this, there's a God, he's angry with me, there's goddesses, they're angry with me, so let me try to placate the
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God, let me try to assuage their anger, maybe we give them some fruit, maybe we give them some people, maybe it's a sacrifice and since we're now trying to placate them, maybe they'll be kind, maybe the
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God will be okay, but isn't it interesting with Christianity? It's the exact opposite, we don't say
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God will earn your favor by us doing something, we could never do anything because our hands are tainted with sin, so it's all
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God's initiative, it's all God's mercies and when you look at the text verse 1, by the mercies of God, that's just a way of taking all of chapter 11, put it into a couple of words and saying, in light of the mercy of God for you, the covenant faithfulness of God to you, how do you live, how do you think now, what great incentive for holy living, you've been justified by faith alone.
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That word mercy there is not the usual word for mercy in New Testament Greek, it's the word of someone who,
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I'll go from lesser to greater. If there's a dog in the street that's been hit by a car and its legs are broken, you say that's an inferior creature and I feel like I should do something, there's something in my heart that wants to help the dog.
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This is that word, where there's a superior creature, I shouldn't say creature, superior creator and we are in need, we're pitiable because of our sin and God with His big heartedness, with His compassion, with His mercy, stoops down in the person of His Son to save us, to rescue us.
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Pity at the sight of another's ill fortune. Paul says
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I don't command you, Paul says if you'll just sit and think about it just for a minute, what
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God has done for you, I think you'll respond with what? Consecration. I think you'll respond with commitment.
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Isaac Watts said, drops of grief can ne 'er repay the debt of love I owe.
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Here Lord I give myself away tis all that I can do. And what does
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God want? Take a look at the passage, to present your bodies. This doesn't mean, you know if I was a kid
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I'd think He wants my ears, consecrate your ears, He wants my nose, He wants my hands.
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No this means the totality of your being He wants you. Notice it doesn't say He wants your money,
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He wants your time, He wants you. Jesus didn't die for your money and die for your time.
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He died for you if you're a Christian. He doesn't love your money and He doesn't love your time.
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He in Christ loves you. This is great language, present your bodies. Now yesterday
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I got to officiate a wedding. Oh it's so great to officiate a wedding. My kids used to say when
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I would go do a wedding I'd say, I have to go marry somebody. And they'd say, aren't you married to mom? How does that work?
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It's another summer Saturday and dad's marrying someone else again. So now I always tell the kids,
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I'm officiating a wedding. And I have some vows at the end. One time that the couple are both required to say,
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I will. When I say, will you do this that or the other by the grace of God, I will. And then there's some other things that they have and then they have to say,
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I do. This is that language. This is marriage commitment.
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Standing at the front of a church in front of God and these witnesses. Will you promise to forsake all others?
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Would you promise to love and better for better for worse for sickness and health? I do.
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That's the language here. In light of what God has done for me, God I'm yours.
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Everything that I am, I'm yours. Whatever you want to do, I will do. The question is for you this morning, have you said that to the
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Lord? If you're a Christian, have you said, this is one time kind of a definitive action kind of verb in the
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Bible. Lord, I deserve hell and I get heaven. I deserve to pay for my own sins forever and I get your grace.
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I didn't earn it. I didn't merit it. It's all what you did. You had planted in eternity past you effectuated at Calvary and then you made me born again.
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God, I am yours. Can you really call yourself a
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Christian if you haven't said that? I do. I want your life. I want everything by the grace of God.
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I commit. You say, yeah, but if I do that, I might have to leave California and go to New England for 16 years.
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That's exactly right. You might have to. But maybe you might get to go to California if you do that. That might not work out too badly.
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How many people here are in the military or have been in the military? Several.
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This is the kind of language. When they enlist you, when they install you, I'm not in the military so I don't know the name.
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What is the name? Enlistment. There you go. See, I do know the name. This is a definite act in light of everything that God has done for you.
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It would be illogical. It would be irrational. You wouldn't be thinking properly if you said, you know what,
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I'll give you some of my time, some of my money, some of me. No, I'm all in. Christianity is you're either a saint or you're an ain't.
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This is all in. And friends, this isn't just for pastors, elders, I'm going to be a missionary.
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This is in light of the mercies of God. Just sit and think for five minutes how bad hell is and you don't have to go because hell was poured out on Jesus.
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The eternity of hell condensed into three hours as it were and just dumped on Jesus. He did that for you if you're a
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Christian. Now the language here makes us think of Old Testament sacrifices.
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Take a look there again at verse one. As a living sacrifice. Now the word is not for a dead animal sacrifice in Leviticus.
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It's a word used of the service of priests in the Old Testament. It's not used of a bloody sacrifice where you have to sacrifice a lamb.
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It's used of the living sacrifice that the Old Testament priests would say, I'm serving you for my life.
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Except here it just isn't for elders and pastors. It's for every person who would dare call themselves a
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Christian. I place myself at your disposal. Everything that I am, my whole man, my whole body, called to live for him.
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Could this be harder than martyrdom? Maybe because martyrdom sometimes only takes hours or minutes.
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This is for your life. With eagerness, giving up my right to me.
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My favorite illustration probably of this is when a woman asked a pastor, will you please tell me in a word what your idea of Romans 12 .1
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is? He held out a blank sheet of paper and said, it is to sign your name at the bottom of this blank sheet and to let
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God fill it in as he will. So my question for you is, have you done that in your mind?
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If you haven't done it, how can you call yourself a Christian? Or if you haven't done it, please re -read
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Romans chapter 1 to 11. That's the response. Wholehearted consecration to God.
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It's reasonable. It's rational. It's insane not to. Another young lady went to a
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Scottish preacher and she said, I don't know if I can do this. What do I do?
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Think of all these stories. They all have to do with pieces of paper. So here's the second illustration with a piece of paper. Write two words on a piece of paper, he said to the lady.
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Think about it for ten minutes, come back, cross one out. So two words on the paper, cross one out.
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The woman looked at the two words on the slip of paper and they were no, N -O. And the other word was
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Lord, L -O -R -D. It did not take her long, so the account goes, to realize that if she said no, she could not say
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Lord. And if she wanted to call Christ her Lord, she could not say no.
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The sovereign, distinguishing mercies of God logically reveal themselves in a person who wants to serve the
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Lord Jesus Christ. Number two, how do you think like a Christian in light of the mercies of God?
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Number one, think logically. Number two, think defensively. Found in verse 2a.
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Or maybe you could say, think protectively. Verse 2 is a very common verse.
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You know this verse? We're moving from a point in time dedication to an ongoing, continual, durative kind of present tense.
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Don't ever let this happen. Keep on doing this, in other words. Do not be conformed to this world.
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Don't let the world conform you to its thinking. And it's trying to. Maybe the first thing we should say is, the world is trying to get me to think like it.
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I did some research this week and even checked the snopes and the urban legend sites.
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This is a true story. I read about watermelons that they grow in Japan that are square.
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Why would you have a square watermelon? It's kind of a cool idea. One, because you can.
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Two, because it fits better in the refrigerator. Three, you can slice it better. So how do you get square watermelons?
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You have this certain plexiglass box and at the right time when the round watermelon that's smaller is just the right size, then you put it inside this glass container and it's clear, the sun still comes in, there's still nourishment and it perfectly is square.
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Square watermelon. I want a piece. That's the language here.
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The world's trying to put you in this box that says, think like a hedonist, think like a postmodern, think like a relativist, think like an evolutionist.
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This has nothing to do with worldly thinking like we used to think worldly thinking. This is about beer, this is about movies, this is about dancing.
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It has nothing to do with that. This is the ideology 2 Corinthians 10 that the world's trying to jam you into.
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The world, the text says, literally age, the evil age, Satan's ruling evil age trying to make you think like it does, have its value system, hedonism and materialism.
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Thomas Watson said, to be godly and earthly is a contradiction. The world is trying to affect you.
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Don't let it affect you. In light of everything that's happened, Romans 1 -11, don't let it affect you. How do you think like a
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Christian? One, think logically. Think number two, defensively. And now the positive side found in verse 2b, the third way to think, think offensively.
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Or if you like, proactively. Found in verse 2b. This makes all the sense in the world because just like Harry Redd, you say, don't do this and do this instead.
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Don't steal work. Don't be conformed. What's the positive side of don't be conformed?
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We have it right here in verse 2. But be transformed, the ESV says, by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good, acceptable and perfect.
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That word transformed is metamorphosis. That's where we get the English word metamorphosis.
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Don't have the world brainwash you. Have the world affect your mind.
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This is directly related to the word of God. R .C. Sproul's ministry. What's it called? That's right.
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Right from this verse. To transform your way of thinking. This is godly meditation.
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People say, well, meditation's bad. Well, Eastern Hindu meditation is, but this isn't. To think
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God's thoughts. Why? Because Isaiah 55 says, my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.
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So what we're going to have to do is we're going to have to get into the word and set our minds on things above. Colossians 3 .16,
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let the word of Christ richly dwell within you. So how do you resist the world's pressure?
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You've got to do something more than just say no. You've got to fill your mind with the word. I could ask you the question right now, and I will.
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How's your Bible reading been this week? Is it important for you to read the Bible and let it richly dwell within you?
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Do you have a plan to read the Bible? Do you say, you know what, I'm going to get to know this book and I want it to know me.
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I want God to use this and I'm going to regularly read. I don't, I'm not trying to make you legalistic where you can't have breakfast unless you read the
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Bible. But offline, if that'll help, okay, do it. The point is not you have to get up and do this or you can't do that.
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But it's the only way to think rightly is to read the Bible. Because we think based on our own thoughts, which are
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A, finite, B, fallen. And so the renewing of your minds come through scripture.
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You will never, ever mark this, you will never, ever, ever, ever, ever meet a
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Christian who's excelling for the Lord Jesus Christ in light of his grace, who doesn't know this book well.
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You'll never meet one. From Hudson Taylor to Mary Schleser, you won't meet one.
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So the good news is we have the Bible. We have lots of Bibles. I got a free
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Bible in the mail the other day and I just thought, yeah, it's just another Bible. And I thought to myself for a second, forget that it's this premium calfskin thing and forget that it's this newer translation
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I don't really care about. I have a Bible in my house. Actually, I have probably thousands of Bibles in my house because of the internet and because of my software.
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You have Bibles to be read. Would you read your Bible? Think about it. Number four, how do you think like a
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Christian? You think logically, defensively, offensively. Number four, think soberly.
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Thinking like a Christian in light of sovereign grace, in light of Christ's death on your behalf.
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Maybe you want to say think sensibly. Or maybe you want to say think selflessly.
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Verse three, see all the focus on thinking here? I'm not against emotions.
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I'm just against emotions that lead us and make us not think. For by the grace given to me,
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I say to everyone among you, Romans 12, 3, you are not to think of himself, 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.
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Lots of Greek words here with the focus on thinking. Paul is trying to say as he's going to lead us into church life in just a verse or two, make sure in light of the sovereign grace of God in your life that you don't think you earned it, you don't think you're a big shot.
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Apart from me, Jesus said in John 15, you can do what? Nothing. Self -conceit is wrong thinking.
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It's not rational. Denny said to himself, every man is in a sense the most important person in the world.
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And we're just not to think that way. I love the man who was really prideful and he asked some questions to his mature friend and he said, will you please pray for me?
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I just struggle with pride all the time. Pray for me that I might be nothing, he said to his friend.
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His mature friend said, you are nothing brother. Take it by faith. All right.
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That's right. What we deserve, what we've earned, we're going to stick out our chest before God or we're going to say we ought to be the most humble people.
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That's right thinking. That's sober judgment. We are recipients of grace. We don't originate anything righteously.
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Number five, he now leads into some talk about ministry. Think corporately.
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If you'd like to think about Romans 1 through 11 properly, you think logically, defensively, offensively, soberly and now corporately.
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We live in a very individualistic age, so much so that when we read the word Y -O -U in scripture, we think it's singular every single time.
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If we had the King James at least it would say ye and then we would know. Or if we had the southern translation, the Georgia translation, it would say y 'all, y 'alls.
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But when we read you, we just go yep, that's me. That's the way we used to think.
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But now in light of how God has changed us, in light of we're the body of Christ, we need to think like a body and so it says in verses four and five, for as in one body, we've moved away from our totality, our body in verse one to the body of Christ figure of speech.
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For as in one body, we have many members and the members do not all have the same function.
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So we, though many, see we've got diversity of members even though unity of body, do not all have the same function.
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So we, though many, are one body in Christ and individually members of one another.
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Proper Christian thinking is this, lone ranger mentality has to go. Mutuality of various members.
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Remember 1 Corinthians 12, the foot should not say because I'm not a hand, I am not a part of the body.
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It is not for this reason any less a part of the body. And if an ear should say because I'm not an eye,
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I'm not part of the body, it is not for this reason any the less a part of the body.
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If you'd like to think properly, then you should think corporately, not independently.
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How do I profit other people? It's not my ministry, it's the
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Lord's ministry. And now he moves into service, number six.
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How do you think as a Christian in light of the mercies of God, God's mercies? In Romans 1 -11, think responsibly.
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Think like a steward. You've been entrusted with something, what do you do with that trust?
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Think responsibly. Verse six, and now verse seven and eight as well, talk about ministry.
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When God saves you, you should minister to his body. I think all of you, if you're a Christian, if Jesus' body were here today, you would say,
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I want to go serve him and minister to him. And sometimes I have people here at the church and I'm up front ready to preach again, they'll come up and they'll say, can
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I get you anything? Can I get you a water? Do you need a cough drop? Do you need a theological acumen pill?
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They ask me all kinds of questions. They ask me. They're kind, they're nice, and I appreciate that.
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If they do that to me, sinful fallen Mike, if the Lord was there, wouldn't you want to go serve him?
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I would, but Jesus' body isn't on earth, it's in heaven. Now this is the body that we have to serve, except it's not quite as fun to serve these as it is him.
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But he does say in verse six, having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us. He says elsewhere in 1
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Corinthians chapter 12, God, the spirit sovereignly gives grace, spiritual gift grace to every
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Christian at salvation. Let us use them. If you've been saved, you need to use your spiritual gifts.
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And then he gives not an inclusive list, but he just gives a general list that the folks at Rome would know.
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If prophecy, if you can speak directly and infallibly for God, then you ought to do that in proportion to our faith.
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If service, our ministry, if you're able to minister to folks, you ought to minister to their physical and material needs.
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The one who teaches in his teaching. If you've been given the gift and you can explain God's truth simply, clearly, plainly, then you ought to do that.
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Why? For the good of the body. Because it's been given to you, because you realize God saved you, and if you've dedicated your soul and your life to him, this is what he expects.
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The one who exhorts, that's from encouragement to admonishment, in his exhortation. The one who contributes or gives, make sure you're giving with generosity and with good motives.
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The one who leads or rules pertaining to the government of the church, with zeal. The one who does acts of mercy, giving to those in need, do it with what?
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Cheerfulness. So much different than this mentality. Ah, that's good enough for a government job.
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The whole point here is if God saved you and given you spiritual gifts, don't you want to excel?
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Don't you want to serve? You're equipped to serve. He just didn't say serve, he saved you, the spirit of God indwells you, he's given you a spiritual gift, and he's given you an opportunity.
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I ask you the question, do you serve the local body? That doesn't mean you have to serve in this building, if it's not within the square circle area of the
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Iwana circle, it doesn't count. But the body of Christ, if you don't serve the body with your gifts that you have as a
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Christian, you're not thinking properly. It's going to be bad for you pragmatically, because you're built to serve, and if you try to not serve, your life doesn't go so well.
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But more than that, for the honor and glory of God, for the example you have, what did Jesus say? My will is to do his work, my food is to do the will of him who sent me.
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Jesus said, I have set an example for you that you do as I have done, after he washed the disciples feet. Matthew 20, just as the son of man did not come to be served, but to what?
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Serve and to give his life a ransom for many. Friends, it is my desire in light of Ephesians 4 that Harry read, our job as an elder board, there are many different aspects to it, but one aspect is to equip you for the ministry.
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You are the ministry, and our responsibility is to equip you. So you say to yourself, well
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I'm new at the church, so I don't quite have a formal ministry yet, but I've always served, and I'm just looking for that opportunity.
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Great, I'm not talking to you. But if you're a Christian, and you're a member here, and you've been here long enough, and you have no ministry, you ought to search out that ministry.
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And don't let yourself say, well you know the elders never asked me to do anything. Well maybe shame on the elders, but God has required you to do something.
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And if God has told you to do something, I wouldn't let some fallible elder stand in my way,
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I want to serve. It doesn't have to be a formal ministry. How can I love other people?
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What I would like done for me, I'm going to do for them. That's exactly what
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Paul is talking about. And you know the neat thing? When you serve other people, you ultimately serve the
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Lord. Matthew 25, the king will reply, I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.
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I didn't say this at first service, but I'll say it now, there are times when we the elders say, we can't get anybody to do the ministry.
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We need Sunday school teachers, people aren't stepping up. We need people to help us.
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The lawn mowing thing the other day, someone said, you know we can't get lawn mowers because everybody, there's a few faithful people, but most people just flake.
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And I say to myself, well that shouldn't be, because even if you don't have the gift of teaching, our leading, our ruling, and even if you do,
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I can even push a mower. I can even know what to do. Spark, gas, go.
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So what's my point? My point is, when you're idle, you pursue something else.
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When you're a Christian, and you've been gifted, you look for opportunities to serve.
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That's thinking properly. Number seven, and finally, how do we think as a
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Christian? Logically, defensively, offensively, soberly, corporately, responsibly, and now
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I needed another adverb. And so what Paul is trying to do here is he's saying, you have duties not just to the church body, but outwardly to society and to enemies.
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That's what he's after here in verses 9 -21. So I'm just going to call this outwardly. Some of these spill into church life, but mainly it's society and then enemies.
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How do we treat people in society? And you're going to find out very quickly, it's not move to Montana.
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It's not move to Norway or Iceland or get away from everybody else. Fascinatingly, what is the dedicated life of Romans chapter 12, verses 1 and 2?
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How should we live towards society and enemies? Paul now gives a bunch of reasons.
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And I think there's 20 present tense commands for society and about five for enemies.
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This is all ongoing stuff, and this is a whole study in and of itself, but I'll just make some comments on most of these.
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First towards society, then towards enemies. And here's a really neat thing before we start. When you look at this list and you feel pressure like how could
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I ever live up to that? I think you should say to yourself, the Lord Jesus Christ in so many ways has epitomized these things.
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And when God sees me, he doesn't see my failings in love without hypocrisy. He sees
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Christ Jesus' great love without hypocrisy cloaked over me. When you say to yourself, you know what, sometimes
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I don't hold fast to what is good, the Son has paid for those sins.
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And you should also say, even though I struggle in some of these areas, Christ's Spirit, the Holy Spirit dwells in you and can empower you to do these very things.
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The first one is let love be genuine, agape love. The world's love is immoral or amoral, and here this kind of love is genuine.
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It's where we get the word genuine. It means don't be a hypocrite, don't serve with a mask on, be authentic or undisguised without pretense.
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Thomas Watson, a great Puritan said, faith deals with invisibles, but God hates love that is invisible.
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You say, well, Jesus loved the church and he gave himself for her. I think
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I should respond in kind. He goes on, abhor what is evil. Just because you're loving people in society, it doesn't mean you can't say
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I abhor what they think, what they do. The words of President Tennts, keep on abhoring what is evil.
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Have a bitter horror in your heart for this detested evil.
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He's not saying, you know, buy into what they do. You should love homosexuals who are enslaved to homosexuality, but you should hate the sin of homosexuality.
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Cling to what is good. This is marriage covenant language.
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Be fastened together, be cemented together. If I was teaching a kid's group right now, I'd have a big old gallon jug of Gorilla Glue.
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Why? Because super glue they don't mix in such big gallons. Something about the name
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Gorilla Glue, doesn't it sound good? Whoever marketed that, way better than orangutan adhesive.
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I mean, it's just so much better. Hey, maybe that's an idea. You're in the world serving other people.
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You're loving them like Christ loved enemies. You've got to really abhor what's evil, but make sure it's not just hating the evil, but you just cling to the good.
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He goes on, love one another with brotherly affection. This is a different kind of love.
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This is family love, Philadelphia love, brotherly love. Be kindly affectionate towards these people in society.
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Shouldn't Christians be the one like this? And then what does he say there? There can be a competition here, a friendly
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Christian competition that's godly. Let's outdo each other in showing honor to people.
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How much honor did you give to unbelievers this week? Well, this is how much honor I gave. Now that might border on pride, but the language there is that.
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Give preference to one another. Outdo one another. Lead the way is the literal
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Greek in showing deference to other people. Of course, not relying on our adequacy, but Christ's.
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He says in verse 11, do not be slothful in zeal. Don't lag behind literally.
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Don't be slow. Don't be like molasses and zeal. Be fired up for the gospel.
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Serving people. Be fervent in spirit. I love this word. When you put water on the oven and turn it up, at what temperature does it boil?
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Well, it depends what kind of Fahrenheit or Celsius, right? This is boiling, hot, internal spirit that wants to serve, and that's exactly what it says next.
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Serve the Lord. Because if you've got it down that Jesus loved you and gave himself for you,
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Galatians 2, then you're enthusiastically wanting to serve.
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Rejoice in hope. I love the way it says this. It doesn't just say rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
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In the Greek it says, in hope, rejoicing, in tribulation, enduring, in prayer, persevering.
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The Christian should be full of joy even though the world is caving in. Look at it.
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Rejoicing, being cheerful, being glad, present tense. Why? Because of our circumstances?
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No, because of the promises of God, because of the power of God, the sovereignty of God. John Stott said
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Christians should be the most positive people in the world. Romans 5 has already said we exalt our joy in God.
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Feelings will follow. Take a look at the next one, be patient in tribulation. We realize the world is against Christianity and there are struggles, but we persevere, we're patient.
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In light of God's mercies to you, be patient in tribulation. What's he saying next? Be constant in prayer, are devoted to prayer.
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I loved what Wheaton College old president William Edmond said. He said this to his college students to put the last two together.
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Chin up, knees down. That's the idea, to be devoted. Oh, here's a neat one, verse 13.
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Contribute to the needs of the saints. We did not live in our current situation here in America back in these days.
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No social security, no Medicare, no Medicaid, no unemployment insurance, no food stamps, no any of that, no welfare government.
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Here we have what? If people are going to be taken care of, Christians need to do that. What else?
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Practicing hospitality. This is super convicting. Ready for the conviction? I like to think of hospitality this way.
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Let's get a bunch of our friends over and sit around and, I don't know, have some
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Velveeta and salsa dumped in or something. I don't know. That was my old college days. Special five -star salsa.
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Let's just get together. But you know what? This doesn't have anything to do with that. That's a good thing to do.
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Well, except for the Velveeta, but this is track down opportunities to be kind to, the text literally says, strangers.
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Strangers. Chasing down a criminal in a cop car, 1 Adam 12. Here it's tracking down, pursuing with that kind of intensity, opportunities to be hospitable.
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I once knew of a couple here at Bethlehem Bible Church that they made a little extra food every Sunday so they could go up to visitors and say, would you like to come over for some lunch?
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Because most of the time the visitors would think, this is some kind of cult or something, you know. I don't know what's in there.
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But sometimes they would take them up on it. How would you like to go to a church and be asked to go over to somebody's home for lunch?
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Bless those, verse 14 goes on to say, who persecute you. Keep on blessing them.
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Keep on saying things that aren't imprecatory psalms. And he repeats that in the next section.
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Bless and curse not. Don't say, God, I want harm to come to them.
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Get them. Rejoice with those who rejoice. And as Christosanum said, this next one's a lot easier than the first one because the first one, our envy gets in the way.
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Weep with those who weep. That word weep has an emphasis on, there's a sound to the weeping.
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It's not just little tears that are kind of whimpering tears. It's a loud wail. Weep with those kind of people.
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Live in harmony with one another. Be of the same mind, in other words, doctrinally.
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Don't be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight.
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Mr. Moody, I was talking to somebody one time, a vain young man, and he said,
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Mr. Moody, I'm a self -made man. Mr. Moody said, young man, you have relieved the Almighty of a great responsibility.
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So no wonder Isaiah said, woe to those who are wise in their own eyes. No wonder Solomon said, don't be wise in your own eyes.
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And now we move to enemies. How do we treat our enemies? And by the way, Christian, buckle up in our society because the enemies are coming by the hordes, and they're already here.
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How do we act? Number, well, it doesn't matter what number. This is the first section towards the enemies.
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Repay no one evil for evil. Don't act like Khrushchev who said, my sole difference with Christ is that when someone hits me on the right cheek,
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I hit him on the left so hard that his head falls off. Never pay back evil to anyone.
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Calvin said, revenge is a passion unbecoming children of God. No wonder
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Jesus said, I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
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No wonder Peter says, you have been called for this purpose since Christ also suffered for you, leaving an example for you to follow in His steps.
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What does the text say? It doesn't say we don't get mad, we get even.
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It goes on to say, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Here's what it means. Think ahead of time.
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So when the world persecutes you, you already know what you're going to do. So it's not a knee -jerk thing.
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I'm persecuted, so I'm going to get you back. No, I'm persecuted, but I've already got a resolved mental way that I'm going to attack this problem.
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So I don't reciprocate evil for evil. I'm going to think about it ahead of time so I'm not vindictive.
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Well, he goes on to say, on the positive side, how to treat your enemies. If possible, there are times it is impossible.
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So far as it depends on you, there's a time where you've done everything you can, but they still won't reconcile.
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If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all.
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Jesus did say, did he not, blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called sons of God.
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The God of peace and the gospel of peace and the prince of peace, if possible, requires of you, as far as it depends on you, to be at peace with all men.
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I wonder if there's anyone in your life where you haven't gone to the nth degree as far as it depends on you to patch things up.
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Biblical restoration is mandatory. Loose ends are required by you in light of sovereign grace to be patched up as much as it depends on you.
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This text basically means, Lord, there's nothing else I can do to get this person to be at peace with me. Verse 19, how do you treat your enemies?
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Well, you don't take revenge on them. You leave room for God's wrath. Beloved, never avenge yourselves.
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And remember the culture Paul was living in where they like to kill Christians soon enough.
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For it is written, now he quotes, maybe from Deuteronomy, 2
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Samuel, Nahum, it's repeated in Hebrews, vengeance is mine, for it is written and it stands written,
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I will repay. Not we will get them, but I will repay.
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That takes such pressure off of us. God will right every wrong. So what do you do to your enemies?
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I'll tell you, mark this, listen up everyone, you serve them anthrax. You were sleeping until just a minute ago, now you must serve them anthrax.
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It is a biblical command. You don't believe me, do you? Verse 20, you will.
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To the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him.
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If he's thirsty, give him something to drink, for by doing so you will heap anthrax on his head.
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Anthraxus is the Greek word, and it means hot burning coals, because when you have the disease anthrax, it feels like you have hot burning coals in your body.
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See, now you believe me. What does this mean though? Kind of sounds a little like revenge, doesn't it?
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Anthrax. See, maybe if you say the Greek word then it maybe sounds better, I'm going to give him anthraxus.
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Don't send it in the mail though, this has to be in person. This is a way of making your enemy ashamed of himself or herself.
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They pour out so much anger on you, and you respond with kindness, and they're shamed.
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This is what it means by overcoming evil with good. You just can't get over it.
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We don't fight fire with fire, we fight fire with kindness, and then they receive the internal anthraxus fire.
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I've had some arch enemies in my life, and I learned this from my pastor John MacArthur. When he had arch enemies, he would regularly send them a gift.
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And there have been times in my ministry where the people that have most hated me in this gospel ministry, that by the grace of God, Kim and I have done that very thing.
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Heaping coals of fire on the head. By the way, if I get a bunch of gifts this week, I'll assume the best.
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But honestly, I've given this advice to many people. There's some big blow up and big thing going on, then why don't you just go get your pocketbook out, go buy something nice for the person, send it, saying, thinking about you, praying for you,
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I love you, and send it. That's exactly what this verse is talking about. And why couldn't you?
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No, why wouldn't you in light of Romans 1 through 11? You drown out evil with good.
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Look at verse 21. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. If this is a good thing to do with unbelieving people in society and real enemies, how about just evil within the body of Christ?
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Kindness and love. No wonder when Jesus talked about forgiveness to the disciples, they immediately responded with,
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Lord, increase our faith. Christianity is a thinking religion.
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Relationship, if you will call it that. Here's my assignment for you this week.
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Would you read Romans chapter 1 to 11? This week, and would you say to yourself, Lord, I commit myself to you.
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If you've already done that, say it is like a rededication service. You don't need to come up to the front of the church.
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I will rededicate myself to you. I'm all in. Take my life. I don't care where you send me, what
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I do, what I gain, what I lose. I have one life to live. And if it would honor you to use somebody as frail and finite and sinful as me, then
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I'm all in. Take me. I do.
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Think about it. Let's pray. Father in heaven, thank you that these scriptures do exactly what you tell us they'll do.
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They renew our minds. And they renew our souls as well. How great is it to look back at our eternal salvation designed by your infinite wisdom and grace?
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We do want to respond with gratitude. We've been freed. Sinners in slavery to sin and Satan, and now we're free.
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Free indeed. Help us to be a church dedicated to serve you in spite of our differences, in spite of the issues where we rub one another the wrong way.
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Father, help us to think maturely and to set those aside in love so we can do the greater thing, and that is to serve the
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Lord Jesus Christ and to proclaim his free grace in the gospel.
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I pray for someone that might be here today, maybe many who are not Christians, and I would pray that today is the day that you wouldn't renew their minds, but you would open their minds and give them new life from above.
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And for us, Father, as Christians, we so fail in so many of these ways. We're glad we have a risen