In just nine verses, Paul tells us how to walk Christianly. There’s nothing in Paul’s list that is new for Christians; nothing there that Jesus didn’t already say. And yet we tend to gloss over it because it is too simple, too obvious for us to concern ourselves with. And what’s on Paul’s list? ....
Sermon Romans 12:9-21 Katrina Sermon Check out these helpful resources Biblical Commentary Sermons Childern's Sermons Hymn Lists Romans 12:9-21 Katrina Sermon By The Rev. Justine Guernsey In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. There are moments in our lives that define us…moments of such clarity [...]
Our scripture is the prescription on how to live a holy life. If we were talking about cooking, this would be the recipe. If we were talking about building, this would be the blueprints. But since we're talking about the Great Physician, it's our prescription for Holiness; our prescription for living a life "holy and acceptable to God."
What evils do you deplore? My own list includes soap operas, credit card debt, the Texas Lottery, talk radio, Howard Stern, rap music and plastic flowers, to name a few. See what I mean? These are personal prejudices, not necessarily evils …
Our time and talent figure in to sacrificial giving just as does our treasure. Think about how you give of your time and how you use your God-given talent. God blesses your work every day, not just on Sundays. How you use the time God has given you is, in Paul’s words, a part of your spiritual worship.
As ludicrous as it sounds, I want to spend our time this morning making the distinction between the things in this life that are truly changed, and those that are merely rearranged. Specifically, I want to consider whether God has called us to be radically different people in this world, or if rearranged is good enough.
Where do you fit? What is your spiritual gift? God is calling you to be a good steward of the gift you have been given. God wants you to "present (yourselves) as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship."
The problem comes when our very person begins to be shaped by the fads and fancies of the time, by the pressures and prejudices of the crowd, when our most fundamental attitudes are dictated by the press and our values by the polls. “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mold.”
Only as we place ourselves at the disposal of a higher will do we enjoy freedom from the pressures of culture and crowd--do we truly become our own person. Life by the will of God is not surrender of our own mind and will. It is in fact liberation of both. Says the old hymn “Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free.”
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, "The bearers of Jesus’ word … are now Christ’s fellow workers. … They are to meet those to whom they are sent as if they were Christ himself. They are bearers of his presence. They bring with them the most precious gift in the world, the gift of Jesus Christ." (Cost of Discipleship).