We launched a new series this past weekend called, Identity. We are looking at who we are and why God created us.
Here is the outline from this past week:
Text: Romans 15.7
1. God accepts us
a. Unconditionally (1 Corinthians 6.9-11)
b. Completely (Psalm 139)
2. We MUST accept others
a. Unconditionally
b. Completely (Galatians 6.1)
With the help of Brad Clark, we finished our 40 Days of Worship series last night in EPIC. Our topic was being a living sacrifice. Our text: Romans 12.1-2.
Here are the teaching notes:
The believer is to present his body as a living sacrifice to God. Note three facts.
1. God demands the believer’s body. God is not only interested in man’s spirit; He is vitally interested in man’sbody. His interest could not be any stronger nor made any clearer. This is clearly seen by contrasting the world’s view of the body with God’s view.
2. The believer is to present his body to God. The dedication…
· is not to be made to self: living as one wishes; doing one’s own thing.
· is not to be made to others: living for family, wife, husband, child, parent, mistress, companion, sexual partner, or employer.
· is not to be to something else: houses, lands, property, money, cars, possessions, profession, recreation, retirement, luxury, power, recognition, fame.
The body is to be offered to God and to God alone. God demands the body, demands that it be presented to Him. God wants the body to be sacrificially living for Him.
3. The believer is to present his body to God as a living sacrifice. Note the believer’s offering of his body is to be sacrificial. This is the picture of Old Testament believers taking animals and offering them to God as sacrifices. The believer is to make the same kind of sacrificial offering to God, but note the profound difference. The believer’s offering is not to be the sacrifice of an animal’s flesh and blood. The offering and sacrifice of the believer is to be his body: he is to offer his body as a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice means at least four things.
· A living sacrifice means a constant, continuous sacrifice, not just an occasional dedication of one’s body. A person does not sacrifice his body to God today, and then take his body back into his own hands and do his own thing tomorrow. A living sacrifice means that a person dedicates his body to live for God and to keep on living for God.
· A living sacrifice means a sacrifice of a person’s body wherever the body is. A particular place is not needed. The sacrifice of the body is a living sacrifice; it can be made while the body is living right where it is. And the offering of a living sacrifice is to be made right now while the body is living.
· A living sacrifice means that the body sacrifices its own desires and lives for God. The body lives a holy, righteous, pure, clean, and moral life for God. The body does not pollute, dirty, nor contaminate itself with the sins and corruptions of the world: neither the lust of the flesh, nor the lust of the eyes, nor the pride of life. The believer’s body is sacrificed for God and dedicated to live as He commands.
· A living sacrifice means that the body lives for God by serving God. It means that the body sacrifices and gives up its own ambitions and desires, and it serves God while upon this earth. The body gives itself to the work of proclaiming the love of God and of ministering to a world reeling in desperate needs. The body sacrifices itself to serve God and Him alone. The body is dedicated to God as a living sacrifice.
In summary, the believer is to dedicate his body to God as a living sacrifice in the home, church, school, office, plant, field, restaurant, club, plane, car or bus. No matter where the believer’s body is, his body is to be sacrificed for God. Sacrificing to God is not something that is transacted in a church. Sacrificing to God is transacted in every act of the human body. The world, that is, the whole universe, is the sanctuary of God; and the believer’s body is the temple of God. Therefore, every act of the believer’s body is to be an act of service to God.
BOTTOM LINE: Letting go involves identifying the offense and trusting God to fix what was broken.
INTRODUCTION
Forgiveness is necessary.
It’s a must if we are to become the people God designed us to be.
TENSION
Our memories aren’t always the most reliable things when it comes to recounting what has happened in our past.
Our memory can get infused with so many powerful emotions.
The offense against us can become beside the point, and the bigger issue is the person.
If you aren’t careful, you can focus on the “wrongness” of this person and all that this individual represents, and lose sight of the specifics—the thing they did that hurt you.
We begin to mistake our personal feelings towards someone as God’s feelings towards them.
TRUTH
Forgiving someone. Moving on. It sounds so simple.
"For I will forgive their wickedness
and will remember their sins no more." (Jeremiah 31.34b)
Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more." And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin. (Hebrews 10.17-18)
So how do we get to the point where we move on, where we are able to move past the pain?
APPLICATION
Three ways God forgives us:
1. He actively chooses not to bring up the sin to HIMSELF.
2. He actively chooses not to bring up the sin to OTHERS.
3. He actively chooses not to bring up the sin to YOU.
LANDING
Forgiveness doesn’t come naturally, or easily.
Two choices: Hold on to the past and let it dominate your life OR forgive as Christ forgave and live a life of freedom.
What will it be?
