Back to Romans    (January 17, 2010)

SERMON TEXT: Romans 12:1-3 ("In View ofGod's Mercy"). We will also be welcoming Bentry Nfhata intomembership and hearing from the RUF team fresh from Greece. And don'tforget the potluck -- it seems likelots of students are back so bringplenty as you are able! SUNDAY SCHOOL & ADULT CLASS(9:30am): Winter Session begins! See earlier email. High School Students start a class on Presbyterian beliefs. SUGGESTED FAMILY WORSHIP TEXT: Isaiah 1 or Amos 2 or Micah 6 HYMNS: ~ O, God, Beyond AllPraising (Trinity 660) ~ All for Jesus! (Trinity 565) SONGS: ~ Likely some of thefollowing: When All Thy Mercies, Amazing Grace, A Debtor toMercy Alone, Humble Thyself, Before the Throne DEVOTIONAL: Back to Romans Thank you to Brian Sanders, Brian Waters, and JR Foster for bringing usGod's Word these past few weeks. God blessed each of yourmessages. In fact, as I look back upon them, they really focused on thatwhich is most important to the Christian life -- faith in the coming Christ(JR), hope in the return of Christ (Brian S) and love for Christ and oneanother (Brian W). Of course, there was overlap betwixt the three, butthat's still pretty cool. But this week we are back to Romans and will remain in Romans through theSpring semester, with the occasional break. And yet we are back in aslightly different place. We are done with the doctrinal section ofRomans, chapters 1-11, and will spend this semester on the application of thatdoctrine, chapters 12-16. Well, we will see how far we get, but I am excited to begin to apply all thiswe have been studying these past few years out of the book of Romans. And starting off this great doctrinal section is the amazing summary of thesechapters found in the first three verses of Romans 12: Therefore, Iurge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as livingsacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed bythe renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God'swill is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given meI 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 themeasure of faith God has given you. There is lot there in those few verses! Here then are some of thequestions we will consider this week as we begin the "practical"section of Romans. + Why does Paul begin the practical section with the word,"therefore?" What does this teach us about Christiantheology? (hint: what comes first, what we do for God, orwhat God has done for us?) + What does Paul lay out as the motivation for holy living? + What are we to offer to God? Why is that important? + What in the world does it mean to be a "living" sacrifice? + How is holy living worship? + What is the first detail Paul gives to desribe this sacrificial, worshipfulliving (verse 2)? What are some ways we can unwittinglyconform to the patterns of this world? + Which part of this verse is passive (so to speak)? In other words, Whodoes the transforming? What are some ways we can "set ourselvesup" for that? + What then is the result of this transformation? What is God's will, inthis context? + What does it mean to judge ourselves soberly? Why in accordanceto the measure of faith God gives us? What does this mean? + Finally, how do these verses then describe the whole Christian life as aresponse to the Gospel? And how can they become our marchingorders? Pray with me for God to show us! See you Sunday! ~ Pastor H RESOURCES Many of the Worship Songs we sing may be listened to by downloading themhere: www.gracecovenantpca.org/music/ The RUF tunes wesing may be accessed here: www.igracemusic.com/igracemusic/hymnbook/hymns.html Hymnal words andtunes may be downloaded here: www.cyberhymnal.org OR www.opc.org/books/TH/ The WestminsterShorter and Larger Catechisms may be found here: www.opc.org/documents/standards.html The HeidelbergCatechism may be found here: www.crchurches.net/resources/creeds/HeidelbergCatechism ------0100115170924000000_73481 Content-Type: text/html; charsetContent-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable apologies for the tardiness.... my email was not functioning all afternoon!

SERMON TEXT:  Romans 12:1-3 ("In View of God's Mercy").  We will also be welcoming Bentry Nfhata into membership and hearing from the RUF team fresh from Greece.  And don't forget the potluck -- it seems like lots of students are back so bring plenty as you are able!

SUNDAY SCHOOL & ADULT CLASS (9:30am):  Winter Session begins!  See earlier email.   High School Students start a class on Presbyterian beliefs.

SUGGESTED FAMILY WORSHIP TEXT:  Isaiah 1 or Amos 2 or Micah 6

 

HYMNS:      ~ O, God, Beyond All Praising (Trinity 660)
                      ~ All for Jesus! (Trinity 565)

SONGS:       ~ Likely some of the following:  When All Thy Mercies, Amazing   Grace, A Debtor to Mercy Alone, Humble Thyself, Before the Throne

DEVOTIONAL:   Back to Romans

Thank you to Brian Sanders, Brian Waters, and JR Foster for bringing us God's Word these past few weeks.   God blessed each of your messages.  In fact, as I look back upon them, they really focused on that which is most important to the Christian life -- faith in the coming Christ (JR), hope in the return of Christ (Brian S) and love for Christ and one another (Brian W).  Of course, there was overlap betwixt the three, but that's still pretty cool.

But this week we are back to Romans and will remain in Romans through the Spring semester, with the occasional break.  And yet we are back in a slightly different place.  We are done with the doctrinal section of Romans, chapters 1-11, and will spend this semester on the application of that doctrine, chapters 12-16. 
Well, we will see how far we get, but I am excited to begin to apply all this we have been studying these past few years out of the book of Romans.

And starting off this great doctrinal section is the amazing summary of these chapters found in the first three verses of Romans 12:

     Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.  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.

There is lot there in those few verses!  Here then are some of the questions we will consider this week as we begin the "practical" section of Romans. 

+  Why does Paul begin the practical section with the word, "therefore?"   What does this teach us about Christian theology?   (hint:  what comes first, what we do for God, or what God has done for us?)

+ What does Paul lay out as the motivation for holy living?  
 
+  What are we to offer to God?  Why is that important?

+ What in the world does it mean to be a "living" sacrifice? 

+  How is holy living worship?

+ What is the first detail Paul gives to desribe this sacrificial, worshipful living   (verse 2)?  What are some ways we can unwittingly conform to the patterns of this world?
 
+ Which part of this verse is passive (so to speak)?  In other words, Who does the transforming?  What are some ways we can "set ourselves up" for that?

+ What then is the result of this transformation?  What is God's will, in this context?

+ What does it mean to judge ourselves soberly?   Why in accordance to the measure of faith God gives us?   What does this mean?

+ Finally, how do these verses then describe the whole Christian life as a response to the Gospel?    And how can they become our marching orders?

Pray with me for God to show us!  See you Sunday! ~ Pastor H