1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:04,480 Well, we're going to talk today about transition, changing, 2 00:00:04,480 --> 00:00:05,360 transformation. 3 00:00:05,920 --> 00:00:09,680 The Bible says in Romans chapter 12 that there is something 4 00:00:10,240 --> 00:00:13,240 to be said about the truth of God in our lives. 5 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:17,280 The truth of God that transforms us, that changes us into 6 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:18,160 something else. 7 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,240 You know, I had an opportunity and a blessing to be a Christian 8 00:00:22,240 --> 00:00:24,560 school teacher for six years in Florida. 9 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:29,510 It was an opportunity, blessing and challenge to teach all 10 00:00:29,510 --> 00:00:32,190 grades from 7th through 12th grade about a lot of different things. 11 00:00:32,750 --> 00:00:35,510 And one of the things that was always my goal when I would go into 12 00:00:35,510 --> 00:00:38,510 the classroom was I hope that they're understanding this. 13 00:00:38,510 --> 00:00:40,590 I hope that there's something that they can take with them. 14 00:00:40,670 --> 00:00:43,070 I hope that there's something here that can change their life, 15 00:00:43,470 --> 00:00:45,710 that can transform them into something else. 16 00:00:45,790 --> 00:00:48,510 Hopefully the goal would be that they would become young adults, 17 00:00:48,510 --> 00:00:52,670 that they would eventually become people who would love God 18 00:00:52,670 --> 00:00:53,470 and honor Him. 19 00:00:53,470 --> 00:00:56,690 And I have a blessing in my life to look back and see some of 20 00:00:56,690 --> 00:00:59,890 the students that I had over the years, they, they are growing 21 00:00:59,890 --> 00:01:02,050 up and starting to make me feel a lot older. 22 00:01:02,050 --> 00:01:04,290 Some of you that have been teachers for a long time, really 23 00:01:04,290 --> 00:01:06,850 it can be in perspective for you when you see your students grow 24 00:01:06,850 --> 00:01:10,570 up and have children and begin to do things, it's like, wow, it's 25 00:01:10,570 --> 00:01:14,690 a mind blowing thing in my own life to see that that happens and 26 00:01:14,930 --> 00:01:15,890 people grow up. 27 00:01:15,890 --> 00:01:20,050 But the truth is, is that In Romans chapter 12, we see the Bible 28 00:01:20,050 --> 00:01:24,790 telling us very clearly here that God and his message to us, the 29 00:01:24,790 --> 00:01:27,990 Gospel changes us, it transforms us. 30 00:01:28,150 --> 00:01:32,110 If you've been with us in this study In Romans chapter one, all 31 00:01:32,110 --> 00:01:36,070 the way through Romans chapter 11, what we've been seeing is that 32 00:01:36,070 --> 00:01:39,190 God extends the gift of the Gospel to us. 33 00:01:39,430 --> 00:01:40,470 What is the gospel? 34 00:01:40,470 --> 00:01:42,550 The Gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ. 35 00:01:42,790 --> 00:01:45,990 The fact that he lived a perfect life, he came to this earth, 36 00:01:45,990 --> 00:01:49,110 he died on the cross for our sins, that he rose again on the third 37 00:01:49,110 --> 00:01:52,930 day, and that he offers that gift of grace for all for forgiveness 38 00:01:53,010 --> 00:01:54,050 and salvation. 39 00:01:54,370 --> 00:01:59,130 And so Romans chapter one through chapter eleven tell us the 40 00:01:59,130 --> 00:02:04,930 Gospel to us what we can know about God, how we can know his characteristics, 41 00:02:05,170 --> 00:02:09,090 how we can understand his love for us, how we can understand his 42 00:02:09,090 --> 00:02:12,650 sacrifice, how we can understand our role in that and our 43 00:02:12,650 --> 00:02:14,210 need for a Savior. 44 00:02:14,210 --> 00:02:17,130 If you remember, the Bible tells us here in Romans chapter three 45 00:02:17,130 --> 00:02:19,650 that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. 46 00:02:19,850 --> 00:02:22,690 The Bible tells us In Romans chapter 6, for the wages or the payment 47 00:02:22,690 --> 00:02:23,610 of sin is death. 48 00:02:23,930 --> 00:02:27,770 But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. 49 00:02:28,170 --> 00:02:29,050 What is that gift? 50 00:02:29,050 --> 00:02:32,970 Well, Romans 5:8 tells us that it's a gift demonstrated to us that 51 00:02:32,970 --> 00:02:36,090 when we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 52 00:02:36,490 --> 00:02:38,650 And so that's the good news to us. 53 00:02:38,650 --> 00:02:41,210 But now we find ourselves in Romans chapter 12. 54 00:02:41,530 --> 00:02:45,010 And from Romans chapter 12 all the way to the end of the book, it's 55 00:02:45,010 --> 00:02:49,080 the gospel through us, meaning when we understand the truth of the 56 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:54,240 gospel, when we trust in what God says about his salvation, it 57 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,920 changes us and it allows us to live the gospel out in our daily 58 00:02:58,920 --> 00:02:59,280 walk. 59 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:04,440 So the hope that God gives us in our salvation gives us hope to 60 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,560 live differently in this world. 61 00:03:07,200 --> 00:03:08,720 So you could think about it this way. 62 00:03:08,720 --> 00:03:10,440 It's the gospel to us. 63 00:03:10,440 --> 00:03:15,630 And now the gospel through us, or the gospel Learned in Romans 1:11. 64 00:03:15,710 --> 00:03:18,990 And now in Romans chapter 12, the gospel lived. 65 00:03:19,470 --> 00:03:23,070 Because the Bible speaks of practical application, right? 66 00:03:23,070 --> 00:03:26,670 As, as teachers, all of us teachers who are here, we want our 67 00:03:26,670 --> 00:03:29,990 students to understand what we're teaching, but we also want 68 00:03:29,990 --> 00:03:32,430 them to understand the application thereof. 69 00:03:32,830 --> 00:03:36,190 And so what Paul is saying here In Romans chapter 12 is this. 70 00:03:36,270 --> 00:03:39,160 You understand what to believe about God, what to. 71 00:03:39,390 --> 00:03:40,830 But how does that change you? 72 00:03:41,150 --> 00:03:42,830 How does that transform you? 73 00:03:43,630 --> 00:03:47,190 How do you go from what the Bible says before is an enemy of 74 00:03:47,190 --> 00:03:47,510 God? 75 00:03:47,510 --> 00:03:51,230 Ephesians chapter 2 says, before that we came to the mercy 76 00:03:51,230 --> 00:03:55,430 of God, we were sinners and we were lost and we were broken. 77 00:03:55,430 --> 00:03:57,790 And it even says that we were dead in our sins. 78 00:03:57,790 --> 00:04:01,950 But then it says, but the mercy of God comes into our life 79 00:04:01,950 --> 00:04:04,150 and changes us and transforms us. 80 00:04:04,150 --> 00:04:08,130 And so In Romans chapter 12, we see just in these first two verses, 81 00:04:08,290 --> 00:04:12,490 Paul's pleading with the believer to live a life that is changed. 82 00:04:12,490 --> 00:04:17,410 And he explains how that works in verse number one, he says, I beseech 83 00:04:17,410 --> 00:04:18,930 you, therefore, brethren. 84 00:04:19,490 --> 00:04:22,450 That phrase, I beseech you, therefore, brethren, means this. 85 00:04:22,450 --> 00:04:23,490 He's pleading. 86 00:04:23,970 --> 00:04:28,370 He's essentially begging the believer to understand the truth 87 00:04:28,530 --> 00:04:29,890 that is in his or her life. 88 00:04:29,890 --> 00:04:32,370 Now he says, take notice of this. 89 00:04:32,370 --> 00:04:35,590 Wake up to the fact that that God has changed you. 90 00:04:35,670 --> 00:04:39,590 He's changed your heart, he's changed your life, he's changed your 91 00:04:39,590 --> 00:04:41,590 thinking, he's changed your everything. 92 00:04:42,150 --> 00:04:44,310 And he tells us how we can see that. 93 00:04:44,310 --> 00:04:47,710 He says, by the mercies of God, everything that we have. 94 00:04:47,710 --> 00:04:50,790 This has been a theme in our study in the Book of Romans. 95 00:04:50,870 --> 00:04:54,950 Everything that we see from God as a gift, as a blessing, is 96 00:04:54,950 --> 00:04:55,990 because of his mercy. 97 00:04:55,990 --> 00:04:57,430 It's not because of our works. 98 00:04:58,070 --> 00:04:59,910 I mean, we know a lot of good people. 99 00:05:00,150 --> 00:05:01,710 Maybe you know someone, you're like, man. 100 00:05:01,710 --> 00:05:03,450 That person's a good person. 101 00:05:03,610 --> 00:05:05,250 That person is A good citizen. 102 00:05:05,250 --> 00:05:08,170 And we understand what we mean by that, relatively speaking. 103 00:05:08,410 --> 00:05:10,850 You know, we know that there are good people and bad people. 104 00:05:10,850 --> 00:05:15,010 But the Bible says something in a bigger perspective because we 105 00:05:15,010 --> 00:05:17,050 have to understand what's our standard. 106 00:05:17,290 --> 00:05:20,250 The Bible tells us that the standard is God's holiness, and none 107 00:05:20,250 --> 00:05:22,730 of us can match God's holiness. 108 00:05:23,050 --> 00:05:23,890 So what does that mean? 109 00:05:23,890 --> 00:05:27,250 That means that even if we offend in one way, though we might 110 00:05:27,250 --> 00:05:30,810 be better than somebody else, we are in need of something bigger 111 00:05:30,810 --> 00:05:32,890 than us to bring us salvation and forgiveness. 112 00:05:33,250 --> 00:05:37,330 And so he says, everything that you have by the mercies of God. 113 00:05:37,890 --> 00:05:43,170 The mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. 114 00:05:44,130 --> 00:05:45,250 What's he saying here? 115 00:05:45,730 --> 00:05:50,250 He's saying this, that when we believe in Jesus Christ and when 116 00:05:50,250 --> 00:05:53,930 we trust in him and he changes our heart and he extends salvation 117 00:05:53,930 --> 00:05:58,810 to us, that we are to give everything to him, not just our Sunday 118 00:05:58,810 --> 00:05:59,290 mornings. 119 00:05:59,290 --> 00:06:01,910 Even though it's great that we get together on Sunday mornings and 120 00:06:01,910 --> 00:06:04,950 worship the Lord, he doesn't want just your Sunday morning. 121 00:06:05,750 --> 00:06:07,710 For some of us, we say, well, Pastor, I'm. 122 00:06:07,710 --> 00:06:09,750 I'm more than a Sunday morning person. 123 00:06:09,750 --> 00:06:11,670 I come to church sometimes on Sunday nights. 124 00:06:11,830 --> 00:06:13,350 I come on Wednesday nights. 125 00:06:13,510 --> 00:06:14,350 It's not about that. 126 00:06:14,350 --> 00:06:14,630 He's. 127 00:06:14,630 --> 00:06:17,430 He's not talking about us coming when it's convenient. 128 00:06:17,430 --> 00:06:20,510 He's not even talking about us coming and doing things in service. 129 00:06:20,510 --> 00:06:23,230 He says, I want your everything, your. 130 00:06:23,230 --> 00:06:23,830 Your bodies. 131 00:06:24,150 --> 00:06:27,070 The phrase there in the original Greek is about giving all 132 00:06:27,070 --> 00:06:30,780 of yourself over to God, every aspect. 133 00:06:31,420 --> 00:06:33,860 For some of us, it's comfortable for us to say, lord, 134 00:06:33,860 --> 00:06:37,260 you can have my Sundays, or you can have my. 135 00:06:37,340 --> 00:06:40,420 My family, but maybe you can't have my work, or maybe you can have 136 00:06:40,420 --> 00:06:41,980 my work, but you can't have my family. 137 00:06:42,140 --> 00:06:43,460 You can't have my hobbies. 138 00:06:43,460 --> 00:06:44,819 You can't have my weekends. 139 00:06:44,819 --> 00:06:46,300 You can't have my summertime. 140 00:06:46,300 --> 00:06:48,140 And the challenge for all of us is this. 141 00:06:48,300 --> 00:06:51,420 God gave us everything in his son. 142 00:06:51,740 --> 00:06:55,820 God gave us life, and he gave us forgiveness, and he gave us salvation. 143 00:06:56,410 --> 00:06:58,770 Going to see in this verse that he says the only reasonable 144 00:06:58,770 --> 00:07:02,490 thing, the only logical thing to do in the heart of gratitude, 145 00:07:02,570 --> 00:07:05,690 is to give everything back over to him. 146 00:07:06,250 --> 00:07:10,090 He says that you present your bodies a living sacrifice. 147 00:07:10,570 --> 00:07:12,649 Now, what's different about this sacrifice? 148 00:07:13,130 --> 00:07:16,530 Well, the people at the time of this book being written, the book 149 00:07:16,530 --> 00:07:19,650 of Romans, they would have understood very clearly what sacrifice 150 00:07:19,650 --> 00:07:20,250 was all about. 151 00:07:21,050 --> 00:07:22,990 Whether they were Jew or Gentile, they. 152 00:07:23,060 --> 00:07:25,500 They understood that there was a need to sacrifice. 153 00:07:25,500 --> 00:07:27,260 And they sacrificed animals back then. 154 00:07:27,260 --> 00:07:28,340 You guys are familiar with that. 155 00:07:28,420 --> 00:07:30,260 They Sacrifice animals on altars. 156 00:07:30,260 --> 00:07:32,660 But all of those sacrifices ended in death. 157 00:07:33,140 --> 00:07:36,100 There was some type of finality to those sacrifices. 158 00:07:36,340 --> 00:07:38,860 But then the Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews that there was 159 00:07:38,860 --> 00:07:42,100 a once for all sacrifice in Jesus Christ. 160 00:07:42,260 --> 00:07:45,300 So therefore we no longer have to die for a sacrifice. 161 00:07:45,300 --> 00:07:47,700 But it says here that we can live in sacrifice. 162 00:07:47,780 --> 00:07:50,530 This is a type of sacrifice that means that, that God gives us 163 00:07:50,530 --> 00:07:53,090 life and newness of life as Romans 6 says. 164 00:07:53,650 --> 00:07:56,370 So he wants us to live for him, not die for Him. 165 00:07:56,610 --> 00:07:57,930 He wants us to live for Him. 166 00:07:57,930 --> 00:08:02,090 And he says a living sacrifice, holy, that's, that's separate, 167 00:08:02,090 --> 00:08:07,690 set, set aside special acceptable unto God, which is your 168 00:08:07,690 --> 00:08:10,130 reasonable or logical service. 169 00:08:10,850 --> 00:08:13,970 And so he calls us to give a living sacrifice. 170 00:08:13,970 --> 00:08:17,090 Now I would tell you today that many of us are in different 171 00:08:17,170 --> 00:08:18,450 steps of our faith. 172 00:08:18,450 --> 00:08:21,780 Maybe some, some of us have just started the journey of faith. 173 00:08:21,780 --> 00:08:26,220 Some of us maybe have been Christians for 50, 60 years maybe. 174 00:08:26,220 --> 00:08:29,140 And some of us, maybe that are in this room today have not even 175 00:08:29,140 --> 00:08:31,100 stepped foot in a church before. 176 00:08:31,100 --> 00:08:34,460 Maybe it's coming into a place in our life where we have questions, 177 00:08:34,700 --> 00:08:37,140 maybe we have doubts, maybe we have curiosities. 178 00:08:37,140 --> 00:08:40,180 But the Bible says that when we take that step of faith, when 179 00:08:40,180 --> 00:08:43,860 we believe in the Lord, when we start that race, as the book of 180 00:08:43,860 --> 00:08:47,600 Hebrews says, that now all of us have an opportunity to take a 181 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:51,760 step of faith and trust in him daily, to grow in our sacrifice for 182 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:52,040 Him. 183 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:55,640 Someone asked me one time, have I done enough for the Lord? 184 00:08:55,640 --> 00:08:56,440 Let me tell you something. 185 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:00,400 In, in a very theological sense, a very, very intellectual 186 00:09:00,400 --> 00:09:03,480 sense, we'll never be able to do enough for God. 187 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:06,800 I, I, I think that that's a lie that many people teach that. 188 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,640 Well, I've served enough so I can stop and I can rest. 189 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,370 Folks, we're never going to be able to repay back to God what He 190 00:09:13,370 --> 00:09:14,210 has done for us. 191 00:09:15,170 --> 00:09:19,970 Think of the immeasurable sacrifice that he gave if you believe 192 00:09:19,970 --> 00:09:21,050 what the word of God says. 193 00:09:21,050 --> 00:09:24,370 The Bible says that God gave His only begotten Son for us. 194 00:09:24,370 --> 00:09:25,170 John 3:16. 195 00:09:25,170 --> 00:09:27,570 Probably everybody is aware of that verse. 196 00:09:27,810 --> 00:09:32,010 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, 197 00:09:32,010 --> 00:09:35,810 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting 198 00:09:35,810 --> 00:09:36,210 life. 199 00:09:36,690 --> 00:09:38,610 Now I'm going to tell you, I've said this before. 200 00:09:39,210 --> 00:09:40,170 I love you guys. 201 00:09:40,170 --> 00:09:42,090 You say you don't love me, you don't know me. 202 00:09:42,170 --> 00:09:44,090 Well, first of all, I know a lot of you and I love you because 203 00:09:44,090 --> 00:09:44,650 I know you. 204 00:09:44,650 --> 00:09:45,810 But even if I don't Know you. 205 00:09:45,810 --> 00:09:48,210 God calls me to love you, so I love you. 206 00:09:48,210 --> 00:09:49,210 Okay, that's a statement. 207 00:09:50,890 --> 00:09:54,410 But I don't love you enough to give my only begotten son for you. 208 00:09:54,570 --> 00:09:56,290 First of all, I don't have one and only son. 209 00:09:56,290 --> 00:09:58,810 I have two sons, but either one of them. 210 00:09:59,450 --> 00:10:00,730 I love them so much. 211 00:10:01,450 --> 00:10:04,210 And I can't wrap my mind around the fact that God would love 212 00:10:04,210 --> 00:10:07,340 me enough to give his only begotten Son for me, for you. 213 00:10:08,140 --> 00:10:11,580 But that's a truth of the word of God, and we have to believe that. 214 00:10:12,140 --> 00:10:15,060 And that's an immeasurable gift, an endless gift. 215 00:10:15,060 --> 00:10:16,100 Paul talks about the. 216 00:10:16,100 --> 00:10:19,700 The riches being so deep that we cannot mind the depths of all 217 00:10:19,700 --> 00:10:21,460 that grace, of all that mercy. 218 00:10:21,460 --> 00:10:23,820 And so he says here, understanding that. 219 00:10:24,220 --> 00:10:26,460 Because, by the way, if you go back to verse number one, we'll have 220 00:10:26,460 --> 00:10:27,900 a little bit of a teaching moment here. 221 00:10:27,900 --> 00:10:31,700 He says, I beseech you, therefore, now, anytime you see the 222 00:10:31,700 --> 00:10:33,740 word therefore, you want to see what it's there for. 223 00:10:34,100 --> 00:10:36,100 He's referring back to something else. 224 00:10:36,180 --> 00:10:37,180 So he says, therefore. 225 00:10:37,180 --> 00:10:38,180 What's he talking about? 226 00:10:38,260 --> 00:10:43,100 Well, he's Talking about Romans 1 through 11, all of the riches 227 00:10:43,100 --> 00:10:44,140 that we find in Christ. 228 00:10:44,140 --> 00:10:46,980 Now, when I say riches, I'm not talking about material riches. 229 00:10:46,980 --> 00:10:48,500 I'm talking about spiritual riches. 230 00:10:48,820 --> 00:10:52,180 And so he says here, all of those blessings of God's grace. 231 00:10:52,180 --> 00:10:55,100 If you haven't read through Romans 1 through 11, read through 232 00:10:55,100 --> 00:10:55,380 it. 233 00:10:55,540 --> 00:10:57,340 I mean, read through Romans chapter 8. 234 00:10:57,340 --> 00:11:01,550 It talks about God's unending love for us, that nothing can separate 235 00:11:01,550 --> 00:11:03,910 us from the love of God if we are in Christ Jesus. 236 00:11:03,910 --> 00:11:07,510 There's therefore now no condemnation or judgment upon us. 237 00:11:07,990 --> 00:11:11,510 And so Paul says, understanding all of that, understanding 238 00:11:11,510 --> 00:11:14,390 all of those riches, understanding all of those blessings, 239 00:11:14,390 --> 00:11:18,790 understanding all of that forgiveness, I must present my body, 240 00:11:18,950 --> 00:11:23,110 my life, my everything, a living sacrifice to the Lord. 241 00:11:24,390 --> 00:11:26,230 Some people might say, well, what does that look like? 242 00:11:26,830 --> 00:11:29,270 Does that mean I have to come to the church building every single 243 00:11:29,270 --> 00:11:32,830 day and kneel at these steps and pray 24 7? 244 00:11:32,830 --> 00:11:34,910 No, that's not what that's talking about. 245 00:11:35,550 --> 00:11:41,870 A living sacrifice is living a life that demonstrates Christ to 246 00:11:41,870 --> 00:11:42,350 the world. 247 00:11:43,390 --> 00:11:47,350 By the way that we live, by the way that we work, by the way 248 00:11:47,350 --> 00:11:51,710 that we love, by the way that we serve, by the way that we respond 249 00:11:51,710 --> 00:11:55,360 in traffic during rush hour, by the way that we deal with the 250 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:56,840 person in our workplace. 251 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,040 But by the way that we do whatever we do, may it point people 252 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:01,520 to Christ. 253 00:12:01,520 --> 00:12:04,760 One of our favorite verses in our home is Matthew 5:16. 254 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:09,040 Let your light so shine before men that they May see your good works 255 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:11,880 and glorify your Father, which is in heaven. 256 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:17,080 We live a life of light to a dark world so that people can know 257 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:18,680 Jesus, not know me. 258 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:23,960 You know, we had awards chapel not too long ago with our kids at 259 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:24,440 their school. 260 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:29,240 And I'm going to tell you as a dad, when your kid wins an award, 261 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:33,000 I get so excited and that, that you guys know that feeling. 262 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,320 Some of you that are parents, you start getting welled up inside, 263 00:12:35,320 --> 00:12:36,760 you want to shed a tear. 264 00:12:38,200 --> 00:12:40,320 And the truth is, is that as. 265 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:42,920 As a parent, sometimes we can look at that and go, wow, I really 266 00:12:42,920 --> 00:12:43,880 prepared them well. 267 00:12:44,610 --> 00:12:46,850 And maybe even take credit for ourselves, or if we don't take credit 268 00:12:46,850 --> 00:12:49,130 for ourselves, we say, well, look how good this is. 269 00:12:49,130 --> 00:12:50,810 Or look how much they've accomplished. 270 00:12:50,810 --> 00:12:53,050 And they have accomplished great things and we're thankful for 271 00:12:53,050 --> 00:12:53,330 that. 272 00:12:54,210 --> 00:12:56,410 But we must go back to the perspective of that. 273 00:12:56,410 --> 00:12:59,770 Everything that we do, no matter if we get an award, no matter 274 00:12:59,770 --> 00:13:03,170 if someone compliments us, no matter if we get a great financial 275 00:13:03,250 --> 00:13:08,770 blessing, no matter if we get a job or a raise in our job or someone 276 00:13:08,930 --> 00:13:10,240 thanks us for something, it. 277 00:13:10,310 --> 00:13:11,270 It's all about the Lord. 278 00:13:11,270 --> 00:13:12,790 It's all about giving him glory. 279 00:13:12,790 --> 00:13:14,630 It's all about what he has done for us. 280 00:13:14,790 --> 00:13:17,110 And so the way that we live our lives should be different. 281 00:13:17,110 --> 00:13:19,030 Displaying the goodness of God. 282 00:13:19,590 --> 00:13:20,070 Paul. 283 00:13:20,070 --> 00:13:21,630 Paul talks about this. 284 00:13:21,630 --> 00:13:22,870 Peter talks about this. 285 00:13:23,030 --> 00:13:24,950 First Peter, chapter three, verse 15. 286 00:13:25,990 --> 00:13:29,790 It says that we should give an answer to those who ask us the hope 287 00:13:29,790 --> 00:13:32,910 that's within us, which the assumption would be that as a Christian, 288 00:13:32,910 --> 00:13:37,030 we're living differently, with hope that we're different, that that 289 00:13:37,030 --> 00:13:40,910 that were joyful, that were strong, that were courageous, that 290 00:13:40,910 --> 00:13:41,550 were faithful. 291 00:13:41,550 --> 00:13:44,190 And that when people see the difference, hey, why are you different? 292 00:13:44,430 --> 00:13:45,710 Why don't you join in with this? 293 00:13:45,710 --> 00:13:47,230 Why don't you act this way? 294 00:13:47,230 --> 00:13:49,110 Why don't you be like everybody else? 295 00:13:49,110 --> 00:13:51,470 We don't just say, well, because I'm just trying to be a good 296 00:13:51,470 --> 00:13:51,790 person. 297 00:13:52,270 --> 00:13:52,870 We say, no. 298 00:13:52,870 --> 00:13:55,710 We give a reason for the hope that's within us and that's Jesus 299 00:13:55,710 --> 00:13:56,030 Christ. 300 00:13:56,190 --> 00:13:57,790 It's because Jesus, I'm different. 301 00:13:58,190 --> 00:14:00,190 It's because Jesus that I didn't do this. 302 00:14:00,910 --> 00:14:03,910 And he says that we are to do it with meekness and fear or gentleness 303 00:14:03,910 --> 00:14:04,350 and respect. 304 00:14:04,350 --> 00:14:08,200 It's to do it in a way that's humble and compassionate to others 305 00:14:08,200 --> 00:14:08,920 around us. 306 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:12,080 And so we go back to Romans chapter 12, and he says, to do it 307 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:17,880 by the mercies of God, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable 308 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:20,840 unto God, which is your reasonable service. 309 00:14:21,960 --> 00:14:23,000 That word Reasonable. 310 00:14:23,000 --> 00:14:25,320 There could also be said as logical. 311 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:27,880 The Greek word there would be logical. 312 00:14:27,880 --> 00:14:28,600 It means this. 313 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,920 If we really comprehend all that God has done for us, it's only 314 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,600 the logical thing to give him everything in our lives. 315 00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:39,600 And so when we offer our bodies, God intends us to be holy. 316 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:40,520 That's set aside. 317 00:14:41,400 --> 00:14:42,560 That should be the standard. 318 00:14:42,560 --> 00:14:45,560 We should be different, we should be set apart from the world. 319 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:46,680 We should be unique. 320 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:48,720 And that's what he addresses in verse number two. 321 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,280 He says, and be not conformed to this world. 322 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,560 I want to give you a picture of what this means. 323 00:14:55,880 --> 00:14:59,640 We were at an event recently and Silas, our youngest, was getting, 324 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,260 you know, excited, as two year olds do when they need to be quiet. 325 00:15:03,260 --> 00:15:04,460 That's how it always works. 326 00:15:04,780 --> 00:15:06,980 And one of the people that were there, they said, would your 327 00:15:06,980 --> 00:15:08,540 son like to play with some play doh? 328 00:15:08,860 --> 00:15:11,460 And I'm like, as a dad, I'm like, sure, give him something like, 329 00:15:11,460 --> 00:15:12,540 we'll, we'll deal with that. 330 00:15:12,780 --> 00:15:14,380 And so we were playing. 331 00:15:14,620 --> 00:15:16,260 Silas and I were playing with the play doh. 332 00:15:16,260 --> 00:15:18,180 And they give you those little molds, right? 333 00:15:18,180 --> 00:15:20,580 You guys have played with play doh before or your kids have, your 334 00:15:20,580 --> 00:15:21,260 grandkids have. 335 00:15:22,220 --> 00:15:26,700 And we were pushing that clay into the mold. 336 00:15:27,430 --> 00:15:28,950 And that's what this word here means. 337 00:15:29,430 --> 00:15:31,190 Be not conformed to this world. 338 00:15:31,190 --> 00:15:33,430 It means the world system. 339 00:15:33,910 --> 00:15:38,470 The ways of evil are trying to form us in a certain way. 340 00:15:38,710 --> 00:15:41,950 They're trying to take us as a mold and mold us into something to 341 00:15:41,950 --> 00:15:43,590 say, well, that's what everyone's doing. 342 00:15:44,230 --> 00:15:45,190 This is how this is. 343 00:15:45,190 --> 00:15:46,310 This is what we all do. 344 00:15:46,470 --> 00:15:49,910 This is how every husband is, this is how every wife is. 345 00:15:49,990 --> 00:15:51,670 This is how all workers are. 346 00:15:51,670 --> 00:15:53,070 We all do a little bit of bad. 347 00:15:53,070 --> 00:15:53,320 So. 348 00:15:53,470 --> 00:15:54,550 So just be like that. 349 00:15:54,550 --> 00:15:56,430 Conform into the world system. 350 00:15:56,670 --> 00:15:58,430 And so the Bible warns us against that. 351 00:15:58,430 --> 00:16:02,430 Don't be molded by the ways and the thinking of this world. 352 00:16:03,390 --> 00:16:06,950 There's, there's a lot of things out there that we know can 353 00:16:06,950 --> 00:16:08,870 be what is considered to be the norm. 354 00:16:08,870 --> 00:16:12,350 But not right, not biblical, not God honoring. 355 00:16:12,670 --> 00:16:14,750 And there's a lot of people that have justified their actions 356 00:16:14,750 --> 00:16:15,430 by saying this. 357 00:16:15,430 --> 00:16:19,630 Well, everybody does it or nobody's going to know about this. 358 00:16:20,930 --> 00:16:22,050 No one's hurt by this. 359 00:16:22,450 --> 00:16:24,930 But at the end of the day, the Bible says that it's a very clear 360 00:16:25,010 --> 00:16:26,690 line of doing right and wrong. 361 00:16:26,690 --> 00:16:29,530 And when the Bible says that we are not to be conformed to this 362 00:16:29,530 --> 00:16:33,370 world, the beauty is, is it doesn't just say, hey, don't be conformed, 363 00:16:33,370 --> 00:16:36,529 but it tells us on the other side what we should Be in the Lord. 364 00:16:36,930 --> 00:16:40,450 I don't know if you've ever had a coach or a teacher, and I know 365 00:16:40,450 --> 00:16:43,850 that none of the teachers here are like this, but they tell you 366 00:16:43,850 --> 00:16:45,730 that you're wrong, but they don't tell you how to get it right. 367 00:16:46,960 --> 00:16:50,120 I used to have a sports coach that would, you know, love all my 368 00:16:50,120 --> 00:16:50,560 coaches. 369 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:52,960 But I would have one coach that would be like, stop doing that. 370 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:54,160 And I would say, okay, great. 371 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:56,560 Tell me how not to do that anymore. 372 00:16:56,560 --> 00:16:58,080 Tell me the right way to do things. 373 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:01,520 And the beauty is, is that the Bible tells us in 2nd Timothy, chapter 374 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,200 3, verse 16, that all Scripture is given by inspiration 375 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,880 of God, meaning God spoke it into existence. 376 00:17:07,880 --> 00:17:08,880 It's from God. 377 00:17:09,280 --> 00:17:12,160 So the Bible's a message from God to us. 378 00:17:12,660 --> 00:17:16,260 And it says it's profitable or beneficial for doctrine that's teaching, 379 00:17:16,740 --> 00:17:20,220 for reproof, to tell us where we're wrong, for correction, how 380 00:17:20,220 --> 00:17:23,820 to fix that, and for instruction in righteousness, how 381 00:17:23,820 --> 00:17:26,500 to stay on the right path. 382 00:17:27,700 --> 00:17:32,220 So God says here In Romans, chapter 12, verse 2, don't be conformed 383 00:17:32,220 --> 00:17:32,860 to this world. 384 00:17:32,860 --> 00:17:38,820 But what in contrast to being conformed, he says, be ye transformed. 385 00:17:40,050 --> 00:17:40,930 Transformed. 386 00:17:41,170 --> 00:17:41,890 Changed. 387 00:17:43,010 --> 00:17:45,250 Now, the idea here, the Greek word. 388 00:17:45,250 --> 00:17:48,290 By the way, this book of Romans originally was written in 389 00:17:48,290 --> 00:17:48,690 Greek. 390 00:17:48,930 --> 00:17:54,290 The Greek word for transformed is the word that we get the English 391 00:17:54,290 --> 00:17:56,050 word metamorphosis from. 392 00:17:56,770 --> 00:18:00,210 Now, I don't know if we have any science teachers here, but metamorphosis 393 00:18:00,530 --> 00:18:01,330 is in. 394 00:18:01,330 --> 00:18:04,690 In many ways that we would understand it to be when a caterpillar, 395 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:08,320 you know, climbs up on a branch and creates something called 396 00:18:08,320 --> 00:18:09,160 a chrysalis. 397 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:10,080 Right, Micah? 398 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:10,600 Is that right? 399 00:18:10,680 --> 00:18:11,200 Is that right? 400 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:12,080 Okay, Mike is my. 401 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:13,080 My animal guy. 402 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:15,080 And then. 403 00:18:15,080 --> 00:18:15,960 And then what happens? 404 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,600 Over a certain period of time, that chrysalis breaks open and does 405 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:20,879 the caterpillar come back out? 406 00:18:20,879 --> 00:18:24,000 Well, in some ways it does, but in other ways, it comes out differently, 407 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:25,720 transformed into a butterfly. 408 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,280 And so it comes in a certain way, but leaves differently. 409 00:18:30,930 --> 00:18:32,370 That's what the Bible's talking about here. 410 00:18:32,370 --> 00:18:36,410 When we are experiencing the grace of God and God changes us, 411 00:18:36,410 --> 00:18:37,730 we're not to stay the same. 412 00:18:38,690 --> 00:18:42,610 We're to leave, transformed to newness of life. 413 00:18:42,850 --> 00:18:44,290 Now, the idea would be this. 414 00:18:44,290 --> 00:18:45,130 How do I do that? 415 00:18:45,130 --> 00:18:48,730 Because some people would say, well, maybe, yeah, I want to be transformed. 416 00:18:48,730 --> 00:18:49,570 I want to be different. 417 00:18:49,890 --> 00:18:51,010 I want to have a new life. 418 00:18:51,010 --> 00:18:52,050 But how does that look? 419 00:18:52,530 --> 00:18:55,290 Because you know what, Pastor Josh, I don't know you that well. 420 00:18:55,290 --> 00:18:56,050 Or maybe I do know you. 421 00:18:56,050 --> 00:18:59,390 And I wake up in the mornings, and I want to be good. 422 00:18:59,470 --> 00:19:00,750 I want to do Right. 423 00:19:00,910 --> 00:19:04,390 But I get all these thoughts in my mind, and I go to work and 424 00:19:04,390 --> 00:19:07,790 someone tests my faith today, and they test my patience, and, you 425 00:19:07,790 --> 00:19:09,790 know, I'm just right back into that same cycle. 426 00:19:09,790 --> 00:19:10,830 How do I do that? 427 00:19:10,830 --> 00:19:15,390 Well, he says right here how to be transformed by the renewing 428 00:19:15,390 --> 00:19:16,430 of your mind. 429 00:19:17,390 --> 00:19:18,870 By the renewing of your mind. 430 00:19:18,870 --> 00:19:20,510 So what is he basically saying here? 431 00:19:20,590 --> 00:19:25,920 He says it's not just about thinking, but it's about having your 432 00:19:25,920 --> 00:19:27,160 mind changed. 433 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:27,880 So. 434 00:19:27,880 --> 00:19:29,160 So it's this, okay? 435 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:31,240 There's a way that we can think in the morning. 436 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:33,240 We can wake up and we can start to think. 437 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,240 And most of us have preset thinking patterns that we go into. 438 00:19:37,960 --> 00:19:43,600 So, for example, if I wake up and I immediately assume that everything's 439 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:45,400 gonna be bad that day, okay? 440 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,720 And I'm already ready to be in that negative stance. 441 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:49,040 My. 442 00:19:49,040 --> 00:19:51,400 My mind is fixed upon that direction. 443 00:19:52,150 --> 00:19:54,510 So he says that we should be renewed in our minds. 444 00:19:54,510 --> 00:19:56,150 How do we renew our minds? 445 00:19:56,230 --> 00:19:59,510 Well, other passages of scripture tell us that we renew our 446 00:19:59,510 --> 00:20:03,190 minds by daily going to the Lord, through prayer and through 447 00:20:03,190 --> 00:20:04,070 the word of God. 448 00:20:04,310 --> 00:20:07,030 Paul talks about this in Romans, chapter 12. 449 00:20:07,429 --> 00:20:08,470 We see that also. 450 00:20:08,550 --> 00:20:11,830 Even Jesus talks about this with Peter being washed and renewed 451 00:20:11,990 --> 00:20:12,470 daily. 452 00:20:13,190 --> 00:20:16,630 So the Bible says here that we should be renewed in our mind. 453 00:20:17,600 --> 00:20:21,720 That means allowing the word of God and the truth of who God is. 454 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:24,760 Remember the gospel to us, okay? 455 00:20:24,760 --> 00:20:29,480 What we know about God, we allow what we know about God, what 456 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:33,039 we believe about God, to dictate the way that we think and 457 00:20:33,039 --> 00:20:34,080 the way that we act. 458 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,120 So let me give you a very practical analogy of this. 459 00:20:38,120 --> 00:20:42,840 I wake up in the morning, and because of whatever reason or whatever 460 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:45,040 feeling I believe, to think that, you know what? 461 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:46,240 I'm just not a good dad. 462 00:20:47,260 --> 00:20:48,460 I'm just a terrible father. 463 00:20:48,940 --> 00:20:50,620 You know, I never do anything right. 464 00:20:50,620 --> 00:20:52,060 I mess up every single day. 465 00:20:52,620 --> 00:20:54,300 And so I wake up with that attitude. 466 00:20:54,300 --> 00:20:55,820 And why do I think that? 467 00:20:55,980 --> 00:20:57,980 I think that because I feel that. 468 00:20:58,060 --> 00:21:01,340 And I feel that for whatever reason, maybe Satan the enemy is 469 00:21:01,340 --> 00:21:05,300 trying to tell me lies, or maybe I made a mistake and I stumbled 470 00:21:05,300 --> 00:21:06,620 in certain things the day before. 471 00:21:06,940 --> 00:21:11,500 But anyway, my feeling and my thinking has changed me to actually 472 00:21:11,500 --> 00:21:12,700 start living that way. 473 00:21:13,270 --> 00:21:13,910 And what do I do? 474 00:21:13,910 --> 00:21:15,990 Well, I don't just keep going and say, yeah, you know what? 475 00:21:15,990 --> 00:21:18,590 I am a bad dad, so I might as well just keep being a bad dad. 476 00:21:18,590 --> 00:21:20,190 Or maybe I need to try to fix it. 477 00:21:20,190 --> 00:21:22,670 Maybe I need to read about 10 books, and maybe that will change 478 00:21:22,670 --> 00:21:23,190 my mind. 479 00:21:23,270 --> 00:21:26,270 No, what we need to do is we need to go back to what the word 480 00:21:26,270 --> 00:21:30,550 of God has to say, we need to go back to what God says about us. 481 00:21:30,630 --> 00:21:33,150 And if you want to go back to see what God has to say about you 482 00:21:33,150 --> 00:21:36,830 In Romans chapter 8, the Bible says that we are children of God 483 00:21:36,830 --> 00:21:40,850 and we can cry out abba, Father, Daddy, God to our heavenly 484 00:21:40,850 --> 00:21:44,570 Father and that he is the one who dictate, dictates our identity 485 00:21:44,570 --> 00:21:44,930 now. 486 00:21:44,930 --> 00:21:47,010 He is the one who strengthens us. 487 00:21:47,090 --> 00:21:49,250 Because folks, I'm going to tell you, I wake up a lot of times 488 00:21:49,250 --> 00:21:52,890 and I don't feel like I'm adequate for what I have before me 489 00:21:52,890 --> 00:21:53,330 that day. 490 00:21:54,850 --> 00:21:55,810 Maybe that's just me. 491 00:21:55,890 --> 00:21:58,450 Maybe I'm the only person that thinks I'm not enough sometimes. 492 00:21:58,930 --> 00:22:01,970 But then those days where we wake up and we feel inadequate as 493 00:22:01,970 --> 00:22:03,170 a believer, what do we do? 494 00:22:03,170 --> 00:22:05,090 Well, we don't just trust in our own strength. 495 00:22:06,130 --> 00:22:08,930 We don't just trust in, well, I better try harder today. 496 00:22:09,250 --> 00:22:14,170 No, as a Christian, we tap into the truth of God that he is 497 00:22:14,170 --> 00:22:15,730 the one who is strengthening us. 498 00:22:15,810 --> 00:22:18,130 He is the one who is changing us. 499 00:22:18,210 --> 00:22:22,050 He is the one who is giving us wisdom, guidance and protection. 500 00:22:22,770 --> 00:22:24,690 I remember the very first day I went to teach. 501 00:22:25,730 --> 00:22:28,770 I was teaching senior level English. 502 00:22:29,570 --> 00:22:35,310 I was 23 years old and there was a student in my class who was 503 00:22:35,310 --> 00:22:38,430 19, okay, so I was 23, they were 19. 504 00:22:38,430 --> 00:22:39,510 I was like four years apart. 505 00:22:39,510 --> 00:22:40,230 I'm like, I went this. 506 00:22:40,230 --> 00:22:42,350 Actually I taught at the same school that I went to. 507 00:22:42,590 --> 00:22:43,670 So here's a little hint. 508 00:22:43,670 --> 00:22:46,910 I went to school with these kids, they remembered me and I'm 509 00:22:46,910 --> 00:22:48,750 like, I got to teach them senior level English. 510 00:22:49,550 --> 00:22:52,670 And I'm like, I, I don't know, I'm gonna, I'm gonna fail. 511 00:22:53,230 --> 00:22:55,710 I'm gonna lead these children astray and they're never going to 512 00:22:55,710 --> 00:22:56,510 make it into college. 513 00:22:56,810 --> 00:22:59,210 They're gonna, you know, blame me and it's gonna be the end. 514 00:22:59,210 --> 00:23:00,010 And so I get em. 515 00:23:00,010 --> 00:23:02,730 I remember the very first day I got in my, my car, it was a little 516 00:23:02,730 --> 00:23:03,930 4 Ranger truck. 517 00:23:04,730 --> 00:23:06,170 And I'm, I'm weeping. 518 00:23:06,490 --> 00:23:07,730 I've got my books next to me. 519 00:23:07,730 --> 00:23:08,890 I studied all that night before. 520 00:23:08,890 --> 00:23:09,770 I got no sleep. 521 00:23:09,770 --> 00:23:12,290 I'm weeping going, I'm not enough, Lord, I. 522 00:23:12,290 --> 00:23:13,210 And so what did I do? 523 00:23:13,210 --> 00:23:15,770 Thankfully, I renewed my mind by saying, lord, I need you today. 524 00:23:15,850 --> 00:23:18,970 You have to like come in and supernaturally give me the words 525 00:23:18,970 --> 00:23:19,370 to say. 526 00:23:19,370 --> 00:23:23,610 Because studying this English literature is Charles Dickens at 527 00:23:23,610 --> 00:23:26,290 8am in the morning is a difficult thing to go through. 528 00:23:27,090 --> 00:23:29,250 And I'm going, okay Lord, help me, help me. 529 00:23:29,250 --> 00:23:31,610 And I remember pleading with the Lord, up to the very moment they 530 00:23:31,610 --> 00:23:34,170 walked in the class, and I was just like, lord, help me. 531 00:23:34,170 --> 00:23:35,690 And he got me through the first day. 532 00:23:35,690 --> 00:23:36,170 Amen. 533 00:23:36,170 --> 00:23:38,210 And I'm like, yes, I didn't fail them yet. 534 00:23:38,530 --> 00:23:40,490 And I did that every single day. 535 00:23:40,490 --> 00:23:43,610 But you know what would happen after the first or second year I 536 00:23:43,610 --> 00:23:44,210 was doing that? 537 00:23:44,290 --> 00:23:44,850 I didn't. 538 00:23:44,850 --> 00:23:45,890 I felt like I got it. 539 00:23:46,290 --> 00:23:47,050 I was like, you know what? 540 00:23:47,050 --> 00:23:48,130 I got this all under control. 541 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:51,760 And that's really a dangerous place to be, to think that we're 542 00:23:51,760 --> 00:23:52,960 doing it in our own strength. 543 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:56,080 So the lesson would be, I should have every day been pleading 544 00:23:56,080 --> 00:23:58,760 with God for strength and wisdom, because I never knew what 545 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:00,520 was going to happen in that classroom. 546 00:24:00,520 --> 00:24:02,760 I never knew what was going to happen on the way to school or on 547 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:03,680 the way back from school. 548 00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:05,200 Folks, what I'm telling you is this. 549 00:24:05,280 --> 00:24:07,880 All of us, every single day, when we wake up in the morning, we 550 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,800 must plead with the Lord to renew our minds, to give us strength 551 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:13,720 to believe in what he says about us and not what we think about 552 00:24:13,720 --> 00:24:15,840 ourselves or not what other people say about us. 553 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:19,040 If I went and believed everything that someone said about 554 00:24:19,040 --> 00:24:21,200 me, I'd be a lot different than I am today. 555 00:24:21,440 --> 00:24:23,360 Because there's been people that have said a lot of things about 556 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:23,560 me. 557 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:25,480 I don't know about you, but there's been people that have told 558 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:27,280 me you can't do what you're trying to do. 559 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:29,680 And usually when people tell me that, you know what I want to 560 00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:31,200 do, I want to just prove them wrong. 561 00:24:31,280 --> 00:24:33,320 I want to do something in spite of that. 562 00:24:33,320 --> 00:24:35,280 But at the end of the day, that's a selfish endeavor. 563 00:24:35,280 --> 00:24:38,400 What we must do is say, lord, I need you to help me not believe 564 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:40,720 what people are saying about me, what the world's saying about 565 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:43,430 me, to be conformed into that image, but be different. 566 00:24:43,910 --> 00:24:46,790 So the Bible actually tells us that we can be different in our faith. 567 00:24:46,950 --> 00:24:47,270 That. 568 00:24:47,270 --> 00:24:51,430 That I can have a godly family, that I can focus on the truth 569 00:24:51,430 --> 00:24:54,470 of God, that I don't have to join in with the things of this world. 570 00:24:54,470 --> 00:24:57,030 Folks, the lie of the world is that you have to do it. 571 00:24:57,270 --> 00:24:58,710 You have to fall into the trap. 572 00:24:59,110 --> 00:25:01,830 But, folks, you don't have to fall into the trap because God gives 573 00:25:01,830 --> 00:25:04,390 us the sufficiency that the world cannot bring. 574 00:25:04,950 --> 00:25:07,870 I'm going to tell you, God doesn't make our life perfect, but 575 00:25:07,870 --> 00:25:10,870 it ultimately, at the end of the day, he gets us through every 576 00:25:10,870 --> 00:25:11,910 trial that we need. 577 00:25:12,200 --> 00:25:15,240 He gives us adequate grace on a daily basis. 578 00:25:15,560 --> 00:25:18,000 And there's a lot of people in this world that are seeking that 579 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:19,720 sufficiency in other things. 580 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:24,360 They're seeking sufficiency in something that will only satisfy 581 00:25:24,360 --> 00:25:29,160 for a temporary brief moment, but it will not be everlasting joy. 582 00:25:29,160 --> 00:25:31,320 And what we see In Romans chapter 12 is this. 583 00:25:31,320 --> 00:25:37,080 He says, to find sufficiency and satisfaction is to find your 584 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:40,120 purpose in his plan for you. 585 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:46,280 He says, by the renewing of your mind, verse two, that ye may 586 00:25:46,280 --> 00:25:54,440 prove or demonstrate what is that good and acceptable and perfect 587 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:55,240 will of God. 588 00:25:55,240 --> 00:25:59,600 Meaning God has a will for you, God has a plan for you. 589 00:25:59,600 --> 00:26:04,730 And there's a lot of people, I think, I believe, that want the will 590 00:26:04,730 --> 00:26:08,210 of God for their life, but they might not know how to get there. 591 00:26:08,770 --> 00:26:13,530 Lord, I want what's best for you, not necessarily what's best 592 00:26:13,530 --> 00:26:16,250 for me, because ultimately what's best for God is what's best 593 00:26:16,250 --> 00:26:16,770 for us. 594 00:26:17,250 --> 00:26:19,370 But at the end of the day, sometimes there's people that say, 595 00:26:19,370 --> 00:26:21,970 I want to know God's will, but I don't know how to find that. 596 00:26:22,370 --> 00:26:24,490 And let me tell you, there's a lot of people that might teach that 597 00:26:24,490 --> 00:26:27,850 God's will is out there in the middle of the desert or hiding in 598 00:26:27,850 --> 00:26:31,250 the rainforest or up in the stars, and it's really hard to find 599 00:26:31,250 --> 00:26:32,930 and we got to jump through hoops to find it. 600 00:26:33,220 --> 00:26:36,020 No, God's will is clearly revealed to us through what? 601 00:26:36,100 --> 00:26:38,820 Through submission to him and to know him more and more. 602 00:26:38,820 --> 00:26:44,900 And therefore he equips us and gives us the tools that we need to 603 00:26:44,900 --> 00:26:46,660 do the things that he has called us to do. 604 00:26:46,660 --> 00:26:50,180 Now, we don't have time to go into that all today, but next week 605 00:26:50,180 --> 00:26:52,460 what we are going to do is we're going to start verse number 606 00:26:52,460 --> 00:26:54,620 three and verse number three on. 607 00:26:54,620 --> 00:26:57,140 For the next foreseeable future, we're going to be looking 608 00:26:57,140 --> 00:26:59,300 at what God says is our spiritual gifts. 609 00:26:59,590 --> 00:27:03,590 God gives all believers spiritual gifts not for selfish reasons, 610 00:27:03,590 --> 00:27:07,990 but for reasons of sharing with others the truth of the gospel. 611 00:27:08,710 --> 00:27:11,510 And so what I would encourage you to do is you can read ahead. 612 00:27:11,510 --> 00:27:13,710 If you're going to come back next week, you can read ahead and 613 00:27:13,710 --> 00:27:16,030 you can look at those spiritual gifts and create in your 614 00:27:16,030 --> 00:27:19,750 mind questions and and thoughts about what God has gifted 615 00:27:19,750 --> 00:27:20,270 you in. 616 00:27:20,270 --> 00:27:22,630 Because what I'm going to tell you is that there's a lot of Christians 617 00:27:22,630 --> 00:27:22,950 today. 618 00:27:23,030 --> 00:27:25,870 There's a lot of people today that don't even know what God has 619 00:27:25,870 --> 00:27:26,510 gifted them to do. 620 00:27:26,510 --> 00:27:27,150 They say, you know what? 621 00:27:27,150 --> 00:27:29,190 I want to serve God, but I don't even know where to start. 622 00:27:29,350 --> 00:27:30,710 I don't even know where to Go. 623 00:27:31,010 --> 00:27:34,050 The Bible very clearly tells us that he starts with the gift that 624 00:27:34,050 --> 00:27:36,810 he has given us through the Holy Spirit, and then we begin to 625 00:27:36,810 --> 00:27:38,050 flourish in those things. 626 00:27:38,290 --> 00:27:41,250 One of the greatest things that I have been able to experience 627 00:27:41,250 --> 00:27:45,410 in my life, among many other things, is to see a student flourish 628 00:27:45,490 --> 00:27:46,930 in his or her work. 629 00:27:47,090 --> 00:27:49,330 Some of you that are teachers understand that moment. 630 00:27:50,050 --> 00:27:52,170 It's actually kind of addictive to see that light bulb 631 00:27:52,170 --> 00:27:52,530 go off. 632 00:27:52,530 --> 00:27:53,890 And you're like, wow, they're getting it. 633 00:27:53,890 --> 00:27:55,250 That's an awesome thing. 634 00:27:56,050 --> 00:27:59,620 And so the truth is, is that all of us as believers have to have 635 00:27:59,620 --> 00:28:03,100 that light bulb moment where God reveals to us the way that he 636 00:28:03,100 --> 00:28:03,980 has gifted us. 637 00:28:03,980 --> 00:28:06,540 And then we get in that and we begin to serve in that. 638 00:28:06,540 --> 00:28:09,660 That is a beautiful thing to walk in the will of God. 639 00:28:09,660 --> 00:28:14,940 I said this often the safest place to be, the most rewarding place 640 00:28:14,940 --> 00:28:16,700 to be, is in the will of God. 641 00:28:17,500 --> 00:28:19,500 And a lot of times people will say this, well, you know what? 642 00:28:19,500 --> 00:28:21,900 To be in the will of God means I have to give up my will. 643 00:28:21,900 --> 00:28:24,260 And therefore I don't feel like that's freedom. 644 00:28:24,260 --> 00:28:26,620 I don't feel like that's going to be satisfying. 645 00:28:26,620 --> 00:28:29,190 I feel like God's going to pull me back from the joy. 646 00:28:29,270 --> 00:28:33,030 Let me tell you, the times in my life where I was the most filled 647 00:28:33,030 --> 00:28:36,350 with joy is when I've been following God and knowing that he 648 00:28:36,350 --> 00:28:38,550 has equipped me and knowing that I'm working in his strength. 649 00:28:38,550 --> 00:28:41,030 And by the way, that's the most freeing moment. 650 00:28:41,590 --> 00:28:44,950 Sometimes we think freedom is doing what we want to do and just 651 00:28:44,950 --> 00:28:45,830 figuring it out. 652 00:28:45,910 --> 00:28:49,510 But actually, that brings bondage, that brings spiritual bondage, 653 00:28:49,510 --> 00:28:52,590 that brings emotional bondage, because it's all on us and we are 654 00:28:52,590 --> 00:28:53,030 limited. 655 00:28:53,360 --> 00:28:55,200 But then when we say God, you take over. 656 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:57,800 That's the most freeing feeling because we've got the God 657 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:01,080 of the universe with everything, all of his wisdom, all 658 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,360 of his power, all of his strength. 659 00:29:03,360 --> 00:29:05,680 And we say, okay, God, you take over. 660 00:29:05,680 --> 00:29:08,480 And that's freeing because someone else is driving, someone 661 00:29:08,480 --> 00:29:10,160 else has got the wheel who can handle it. 662 00:29:10,720 --> 00:29:12,720 And he's the one who has no limitations. 663 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:14,400 So what does he say here in verse 2? 664 00:29:14,400 --> 00:29:17,880 He says that when you do that, when you renew your mind in that 665 00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,240 truth, you are able to demonstrate the will of God in your 666 00:29:21,240 --> 00:29:21,520 life. 667 00:29:21,850 --> 00:29:24,250 You're able to follow the will of God in your life. 668 00:29:25,930 --> 00:29:32,010 And so we resist conformity to the world and we embrace the transformation 669 00:29:32,010 --> 00:29:34,410 that comes in a relationship with Jesus Christ. 670 00:29:34,730 --> 00:29:37,969 Now, this is going to be impossible unless we have a relationship 671 00:29:37,969 --> 00:29:38,730 with Jesus Christ. 672 00:29:39,610 --> 00:29:43,250 Now, today I know that there's a lot of different people here from 673 00:29:43,250 --> 00:29:44,570 a lot of different backgrounds. 674 00:29:45,050 --> 00:29:48,170 What I would like to do with you today is just share with you 675 00:29:48,170 --> 00:29:52,160 my experience and many others people's experience. 676 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:55,920 I'm going to tell you by way of testimony, God changed my life. 677 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:00,600 I had certain desires before I came to him and then after I came 678 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:00,840 to Him. 679 00:30:00,840 --> 00:30:03,040 I'm not saying those desires completely went away. 680 00:30:03,040 --> 00:30:05,960 But what I will say is that God changed my heart to want the 681 00:30:05,960 --> 00:30:07,680 things that he wants in my life. 682 00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:12,320 I want the things that obey and honor him, not myself. 683 00:30:13,120 --> 00:30:15,640 And I'm going to tell you that there's that train that's a transformation 684 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:19,490 moment because none of us naturally want to put others needs 685 00:30:19,490 --> 00:30:21,010 before ourselves, right? 686 00:30:21,090 --> 00:30:23,970 The world says, get yours now as much as you can. 687 00:30:24,610 --> 00:30:25,650 You've heard me say this before. 688 00:30:25,650 --> 00:30:28,290 You've heard people say the one who dies with the most toys wins. 689 00:30:28,850 --> 00:30:31,170 But the truth is that's not a biblical teaching. 690 00:30:31,170 --> 00:30:35,570 The biblical teaching is deferring my pleasure for somebody 691 00:30:35,570 --> 00:30:37,170 else, ultimately the Lord. 692 00:30:37,970 --> 00:30:39,090 And that's not natural. 693 00:30:39,090 --> 00:30:40,130 That's not normal. 694 00:30:41,170 --> 00:30:43,490 And so what I would tell you here today, and I know many other 695 00:30:43,490 --> 00:30:46,210 people would tell you this, is that the transformation that Jesus 696 00:30:46,210 --> 00:30:48,970 brings is a true transformation that changes our heart 697 00:30:48,970 --> 00:30:50,450 and it changes the way that we love. 698 00:30:51,410 --> 00:30:54,330 I was telling our Bible study class here this morning, I said, 699 00:30:54,330 --> 00:30:54,810 you know what? 700 00:30:54,810 --> 00:30:57,970 The Bible has a lot to say about loving my wife. 701 00:30:58,450 --> 00:31:00,729 But what the world tells me is, yeah, you should love your wife 702 00:31:00,729 --> 00:31:04,090 so that you can have a better wife, that you can have all the things 703 00:31:04,090 --> 00:31:05,090 that you've ever wanted. 704 00:31:05,090 --> 00:31:06,530 The Bible says something completely different. 705 00:31:06,530 --> 00:31:09,170 The Bible doesn't say I love someone so that they love me. 706 00:31:09,170 --> 00:31:11,490 The Bible says I love someone no matter if they love me. 707 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:12,840 That's what's called agape. 708 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,480 That's a Greek word for a different type of love. 709 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:17,080 It's a sacrificial love. 710 00:31:17,400 --> 00:31:20,040 It's a love that a mother has to her child. 711 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:23,680 When a child talks back to a mom and a mom loves that child anyway, 712 00:31:23,680 --> 00:31:24,760 that's agape love. 713 00:31:25,880 --> 00:31:28,640 The truth is, is as a Christian this morning, we are all 714 00:31:28,640 --> 00:31:31,080 called to have that level of agape love. 715 00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:34,040 Not because we've earned it, but because we've received it. 716 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:38,690 We've received agape from God, that sacrificial love. 717 00:31:39,250 --> 00:31:42,930 And so here this morning, all of us have to come into some place 718 00:31:42,930 --> 00:31:44,770 of reconciliation before God. 719 00:31:44,850 --> 00:31:48,490 Either we have to embrace what God has done for us and stand in 720 00:31:48,490 --> 00:31:49,890 what we've already trusted in. 721 00:31:50,130 --> 00:31:52,450 Some might need to trust in that Here today. 722 00:31:52,690 --> 00:31:56,490 Others might reject that, but at least think about that understanding 723 00:31:56,490 --> 00:31:58,050 of what God has done for you. 724 00:31:59,410 --> 00:32:02,410 The Bible says that when we were at our lowest, God sent his 725 00:32:02,410 --> 00:32:02,770 son. 726 00:32:03,700 --> 00:32:06,660 When we were at our darkest moment, God sent his son. 727 00:32:07,220 --> 00:32:10,100 When we were at that point of no return, when we were at the end 728 00:32:10,100 --> 00:32:12,660 of our rope, that's when Jesus comes onto the story. 729 00:32:13,220 --> 00:32:15,860 And there's these two words that we see throughout the scriptures 730 00:32:15,860 --> 00:32:17,260 that change our perspective. 731 00:32:17,260 --> 00:32:17,940 And it's this. 732 00:32:17,940 --> 00:32:20,940 But God, you can fill in the blank. 733 00:32:20,940 --> 00:32:23,220 You can say all the things that you were, all the things that 734 00:32:23,220 --> 00:32:25,740 you struggle with, all the things that are painful, all the 735 00:32:25,740 --> 00:32:28,620 things that are broken, and you can say, yes, that is a truth. 736 00:32:28,620 --> 00:32:29,620 I don't deny that. 737 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:33,520 I'm not one of these people that say, hey, you know, just look 738 00:32:33,600 --> 00:32:37,320 in the pie in the sky mindset and just forget all those things 739 00:32:37,320 --> 00:32:37,760 around you. 740 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:40,600 No, there are real struggles that real people are having today. 741 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:41,360 I get that. 742 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:42,720 I understand that. 743 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,240 I know that everybody that came in this room to some degree 744 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:49,600 had to put aside a struggle to walk in these doors today. 745 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:52,160 The Bible actually talks about it. 746 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:57,730 This idea of putting a mask on and saying, you know what? 747 00:32:57,730 --> 00:33:00,050 I'm going to try to put my happy face on today, even though 748 00:33:00,050 --> 00:33:03,930 I'm struggling, I'm going to try to put my happy face on today 749 00:33:03,930 --> 00:33:06,130 when I know that tomorrow doesn't look bright. 750 00:33:06,130 --> 00:33:09,450 And so you can say everything there in that phrase. 751 00:33:09,850 --> 00:33:11,050 I need God. 752 00:33:11,130 --> 00:33:12,970 I. I'm struggling. 753 00:33:13,050 --> 00:33:15,370 But then the two words, but God. 754 00:33:16,090 --> 00:33:19,690 But God, who is rich in mercy, extends forgiveness, grace, love, 755 00:33:19,690 --> 00:33:22,770 peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, 756 00:33:22,770 --> 00:33:25,940 self control, all those things that the Bible tells us are the fruit 757 00:33:25,940 --> 00:33:26,700 of the Spirit. 758 00:33:26,780 --> 00:33:31,660 God brings that into our life and he changes us, doesn't make us 759 00:33:31,660 --> 00:33:32,060 perfect. 760 00:33:32,460 --> 00:33:34,060 Paul even talks about that struggle. 761 00:33:34,060 --> 00:33:36,660 He says, the things that I want to do, I don't do, and the things 762 00:33:36,660 --> 00:33:37,820 that I don't want to do, I do. 763 00:33:37,900 --> 00:33:40,380 But at the end of the day, it's still something that God has 764 00:33:40,380 --> 00:33:42,620 changed in our life, and we still wrestle with that. 765 00:33:43,180 --> 00:33:45,140 But the wrestling is no longer in our own strength. 766 00:33:45,140 --> 00:33:46,820 The wrestling is in the strength of the Lord. 767 00:33:46,820 --> 00:33:50,500 So the first two verses here in Romans, chapter 12 tell us the 768 00:33:50,500 --> 00:33:51,700 gospel through us. 769 00:33:51,940 --> 00:33:55,580 If we want to live for God, if we want to serve God, if we want 770 00:33:55,580 --> 00:33:58,860 to be different in this world, we must start with understanding 771 00:33:58,860 --> 00:34:00,340 what God has done for us. 772 00:34:00,900 --> 00:34:04,660 We must understand what God asks of us, that living sacrifice. 773 00:34:04,820 --> 00:34:07,900 We must understand that that's the reasonable or the logical thing 774 00:34:07,900 --> 00:34:09,540 to do in gratitude. 775 00:34:09,620 --> 00:34:12,100 And then verse Two, he tells us that's the first step. 776 00:34:12,260 --> 00:34:14,420 Don't buy into the lies of the world. 777 00:34:14,580 --> 00:34:18,260 Don't be conformed into the image of the world, but be transformed. 778 00:34:18,260 --> 00:34:18,700 By what? 779 00:34:18,700 --> 00:34:22,420 By the renewing of our mind so that we can live a life according 780 00:34:22,580 --> 00:34:23,860 to the will of God. 781 00:34:23,860 --> 00:34:27,380 And the will of God again is that place that all Christians should 782 00:34:27,380 --> 00:34:28,500 be desiring to be. 783 00:34:29,620 --> 00:34:34,020 And so for every teacher, for every person, we want to see people 784 00:34:34,100 --> 00:34:39,020 transformed not into what they want to be, but in what they need 785 00:34:39,020 --> 00:34:39,620 to be. 786 00:34:40,260 --> 00:34:43,220 Like, if, if my, my children come up to me, I want to have an 787 00:34:43,220 --> 00:34:43,740 open mind. 788 00:34:43,740 --> 00:34:46,540 I, I want to be encouraging them. 789 00:34:46,540 --> 00:34:49,940 But at the same time, there's going to be times in my life as a 790 00:34:49,940 --> 00:34:52,460 parent that I need to tell my children the truth. 791 00:34:53,180 --> 00:34:56,100 There's going to be times in my life as a parent where I want 792 00:34:56,100 --> 00:34:59,340 to guide them into truth, even if it's not something that they want. 793 00:34:59,820 --> 00:35:02,900 Like, all my kids, they want to eat candy every single day of 794 00:35:02,900 --> 00:35:03,740 24 7. 795 00:35:03,820 --> 00:35:05,900 They want to have candy for dinner, they want to have candy for 796 00:35:05,900 --> 00:35:07,940 breakfast, and they want to eat candy right before they go to 797 00:35:07,940 --> 00:35:08,300 bed. 798 00:35:08,580 --> 00:35:10,460 And then my dentist bill adds up. 799 00:35:10,460 --> 00:35:12,180 Okay, So I understand that. 800 00:35:12,660 --> 00:35:15,900 So as a dad, I want to bring joy to my children. 801 00:35:15,900 --> 00:35:16,340 Okay? 802 00:35:16,340 --> 00:35:20,580 I, I, people that know me know that I, I want to bring joy to my 803 00:35:20,580 --> 00:35:20,820 children. 804 00:35:20,900 --> 00:35:22,580 I want to give them the things that they want. 805 00:35:22,580 --> 00:35:25,220 I want to facilitate everything that is good for them 806 00:35:25,220 --> 00:35:25,780 in their life. 807 00:35:25,940 --> 00:35:29,900 But also as a good parent, I have to step in and say, no, that's 808 00:35:29,900 --> 00:35:31,980 not where you need to be because I'm going to protect you. 809 00:35:31,980 --> 00:35:34,020 And of course, Dad's the bad guy, right? 810 00:35:34,390 --> 00:35:35,310 Dad, you don't love me. 811 00:35:35,310 --> 00:35:38,710 It's not that I don't love you, son, daughter, I, I, I'm there 812 00:35:38,710 --> 00:35:41,590 for you and I want to help you do what's best for you. 813 00:35:41,670 --> 00:35:44,310 That's God's relationship with us as our heavenly Father. 814 00:35:44,310 --> 00:35:46,390 There's gonna be times where he gives us those things that we 815 00:35:46,390 --> 00:35:46,710 want. 816 00:35:47,270 --> 00:35:48,790 I wanted, I wanna do this. 817 00:35:48,790 --> 00:35:49,950 And God's gonna say yes. 818 00:35:49,950 --> 00:35:50,630 That's amazing. 819 00:35:50,630 --> 00:35:51,590 That's part of my will. 820 00:35:51,670 --> 00:35:54,230 That's part of the word, do it, go with it, run with it. 821 00:35:54,230 --> 00:35:56,150 And he's gonna be with us through the whole thing. 822 00:35:56,950 --> 00:35:58,790 I remember Micah was like, let's run. 823 00:35:59,190 --> 00:36:02,220 Remember that time we went out running and it started pouring down 824 00:36:02,220 --> 00:36:02,620 rain? 825 00:36:02,940 --> 00:36:06,060 It was like, we ran, we ran like a six mile run that night and 826 00:36:06,140 --> 00:36:07,380 it was pouring down rain. 827 00:36:07,380 --> 00:36:09,380 I'm like, if anyone sees us out here running, they're going to 828 00:36:09,380 --> 00:36:11,500 like report this guy running with this kid in the middle of the 829 00:36:11,500 --> 00:36:12,100 pouring down rain. 830 00:36:12,100 --> 00:36:15,620 But we were like four miles away from our house and I was like, 831 00:36:15,620 --> 00:36:17,300 micah, you're the one that picked this run. 832 00:36:17,300 --> 00:36:18,220 And now it's raining. 833 00:36:18,220 --> 00:36:18,900 What are we going to do? 834 00:36:18,900 --> 00:36:20,340 But then I'm like, okay, I'm going to support you, son. 835 00:36:20,340 --> 00:36:21,500 I'm going to run with you through this. 836 00:36:21,580 --> 00:36:24,020 And we made it, and we made it back and no one got sick and we, 837 00:36:24,020 --> 00:36:24,940 we, we survived. 838 00:36:26,060 --> 00:36:29,820 The beauty is, is that when God embraces us with something that 839 00:36:29,820 --> 00:36:33,800 he intends for us to do in our lives, he's with, he's running the 840 00:36:33,800 --> 00:36:37,080 race with us, and he's running the race for us, the author and finisher 841 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:37,720 of our faith. 842 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:40,480 But then there's also times in our life where we want something. 843 00:36:40,480 --> 00:36:42,760 Dad, I want this. 844 00:36:43,160 --> 00:36:45,640 And God says, look, I know you want that, but that's not what's 845 00:36:45,640 --> 00:36:46,120 best for you. 846 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:49,000 My will is for something else and my will is better for you. 847 00:36:49,080 --> 00:36:50,160 My will protects you. 848 00:36:50,160 --> 00:36:51,800 My will sustains you. 849 00:36:52,040 --> 00:36:55,600 And so folks, if God's not giving you what you want today, don't 850 00:36:55,600 --> 00:36:56,320 think of it as that. 851 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:59,880 God hates you if you are in him as a child of the King. 852 00:37:00,150 --> 00:37:01,990 He's given you everything that you need today. 853 00:37:01,990 --> 00:37:03,670 And he's given you the best plan. 854 00:37:04,390 --> 00:37:07,270 Wait on him, be strengthened in him. 855 00:37:08,470 --> 00:37:10,510 I know that some of the teachers that are here today, you 856 00:37:10,510 --> 00:37:12,030 guys, some of you are done. 857 00:37:12,030 --> 00:37:13,350 Some of you have a few more weeks. 858 00:37:13,430 --> 00:37:15,710 The Bible says to stay strong, okay? 859 00:37:15,710 --> 00:37:17,070 Don't get weary and well doing. 860 00:37:17,070 --> 00:37:18,510 For in due season we will reap. 861 00:37:18,510 --> 00:37:20,230 If we faint not don't faint. 862 00:37:20,550 --> 00:37:21,750 But Christian today. 863 00:37:22,550 --> 00:37:24,070 Sometimes we don't get a summer break. 864 00:37:26,160 --> 00:37:28,800 But the truth is, is the reality is all of us is we're called 865 00:37:28,800 --> 00:37:29,680 to push forward. 866 00:37:30,400 --> 00:37:32,000 Don't get weary and well doing. 867 00:37:32,160 --> 00:37:33,760 We gotta renew our minds. 868 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:37,440 Think like Christ, think like his word, align yourself to him. 869 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:40,520 And in so doing you will find that will of God, that purpose for 870 00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:43,640 you folks, when you find that purpose in your life, that's when 871 00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:44,760 we see that equipping. 872 00:37:44,760 --> 00:37:47,320 And we're gonna look at this next week about all those gifts that 873 00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:48,160 God gives us. 874 00:37:48,560 --> 00:37:51,520 And when we can identify those gifts in our life, then we ask him 875 00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:52,640 for that strength and comfort. 876 00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:56,160 So the challenge for us Christian today is this. 877 00:37:56,160 --> 00:37:59,480 Renew your mind daily so that you can be transformed and not conformed 878 00:37:59,480 --> 00:38:00,480 to the image of this world. 879 00:38:01,520 --> 00:38:02,760 How do you renew your mind? 880 00:38:02,760 --> 00:38:07,760 We'll get into scripture, read the Bible, listen to the Bible, get 881 00:38:08,639 --> 00:38:13,200 godly intake into your mind because what you put in is what's 882 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:13,840 going to come out. 883 00:38:14,960 --> 00:38:18,640 Sometimes with me, we'll do things, I'll do things. 884 00:38:19,180 --> 00:38:21,860 And because of whatever reason, not even my fault, my mind 885 00:38:21,860 --> 00:38:24,500 will just be bombarded with darkness and evil throughout the 886 00:38:24,500 --> 00:38:24,780 week. 887 00:38:25,660 --> 00:38:28,180 And if I don't refresh my mind, that's what's eventually going 888 00:38:28,180 --> 00:38:28,860 to spew out. 889 00:38:29,420 --> 00:38:30,580 So I have to renew my mind. 890 00:38:30,580 --> 00:38:31,980 I have to wash my mind daily. 891 00:38:32,780 --> 00:38:36,540 And all of us, as Christians, are washing our minds daily. 892 00:38:36,540 --> 00:38:39,460 But then also we understand that our hearts and our minds are 893 00:38:39,460 --> 00:38:39,900 connected. 894 00:38:40,620 --> 00:38:42,540 So it's not just about knowing the right things. 895 00:38:42,540 --> 00:38:45,220 It's about believing the right things and applying those things 896 00:38:45,220 --> 00:38:46,940 so that we can apply that to our lives. 897 00:38:47,770 --> 00:38:49,610 The Bible says what we think about is what we love. 898 00:38:49,770 --> 00:38:51,530 What we spend time on is what we love. 899 00:38:51,770 --> 00:38:55,090 And so one part of renewing our minds is setting our hearts and 900 00:38:55,090 --> 00:38:56,890 minds upon the things that God loves. 901 00:38:58,250 --> 00:39:00,010 If I said, I love my children, but my. 902 00:39:00,010 --> 00:39:01,410 My kids are like, daddy, come play with me. 903 00:39:01,410 --> 00:39:02,250 I don't want to do that. 904 00:39:02,570 --> 00:39:05,290 Getting down on the ground and playing those toys, that's not what 905 00:39:05,290 --> 00:39:05,930 I want to do. 906 00:39:06,410 --> 00:39:07,770 I want to go do something else. 907 00:39:08,410 --> 00:39:10,410 The question would be, is, do I really love my children? 908 00:39:10,970 --> 00:39:13,490 If I love my children, I'm willing to do the things that my 909 00:39:13,490 --> 00:39:16,510 children love so that I can have that connection with them. 910 00:39:17,310 --> 00:39:18,150 If, if, if. 911 00:39:18,150 --> 00:39:20,750 My wife's like, honey, we always do the things that you do. 912 00:39:21,070 --> 00:39:23,070 We always go to the places you want to go to. 913 00:39:23,230 --> 00:39:24,150 I want to do something. 914 00:39:24,150 --> 00:39:24,910 Something different now. 915 00:39:24,910 --> 00:39:25,590 I go, no, never. 916 00:39:25,590 --> 00:39:27,190 I'm never going to do anything that you want to do. 917 00:39:27,190 --> 00:39:28,550 There's a problem there with the love. 918 00:39:28,550 --> 00:39:31,230 And so if we say, God, I love you, and God says, okay, I want you 919 00:39:31,230 --> 00:39:32,110 to do xyz. 920 00:39:32,190 --> 00:39:33,950 And we go, yeah, but that's not what I want to do. 921 00:39:34,350 --> 00:39:38,790 The true question is not whether or not God loves us. 922 00:39:38,790 --> 00:39:41,190 The really true question is, do I love God enough to do the things 923 00:39:41,190 --> 00:39:42,510 that he wants me to do in my life? 924 00:39:43,730 --> 00:39:46,130 And so check your heart, check your minds. 925 00:39:47,410 --> 00:39:50,890 And so the Bible tells us clearly here to live that transformed, 926 00:39:50,890 --> 00:39:51,570 renewed life. 927 00:39:52,370 --> 00:39:55,570 I'm going to ask if you're able to just stand with me. 928 00:39:55,570 --> 00:39:57,410 Every head bowed, every eye closed. 929 00:39:57,490 --> 00:39:59,330 We have something here called an invitation. 930 00:39:59,330 --> 00:40:02,450 This is just a time for reflection, a time of response. 931 00:40:05,090 --> 00:40:08,010 Now, the music's going to play here in the next few moments, and 932 00:40:08,010 --> 00:40:10,920 what I want you to do is just think about those things that we've 933 00:40:10,920 --> 00:40:11,560 talked about today. 934 00:40:11,560 --> 00:40:14,080 There's no pressure, at least not from me. 935 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:15,160 My. 936 00:40:15,160 --> 00:40:18,160 My heart and my goal is to present the truth of the Gospel to 937 00:40:18,160 --> 00:40:24,080 you so that we can understand that gospel, so that we can apply 938 00:40:24,080 --> 00:40:27,520 that gospel, so that we can live in the forgiveness that God 939 00:40:27,520 --> 00:40:30,480 extends to us and find that purpose and will for our lives. 940 00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:32,960 Remember that verse that we started out with here this morning? 941 00:40:33,280 --> 00:40:34,230 2Nd Timothy 2. 942 00:40:34,290 --> 00:40:34,560 2. 943 00:40:35,370 --> 00:40:39,250 Paul taught Timothy so that Timothy could teach others, so that 944 00:40:39,250 --> 00:40:40,130 others could teach others. 945 00:40:40,130 --> 00:40:43,370 Folks, I'm so thankful for people that taught me in my life. 946 00:40:44,330 --> 00:40:47,890 And the way that I believe is that I am responsible now to teach 947 00:40:47,890 --> 00:40:51,009 others around me so that they can teach others and so that they 948 00:40:51,009 --> 00:40:51,690 can teach others. 949 00:40:51,690 --> 00:40:55,490 And so this process goes on and on and on until the Lord allows 950 00:40:55,490 --> 00:40:58,170 us to be done with our job, to finish that race. 951 00:40:58,810 --> 00:41:01,530 And so here this morning, maybe God's speaking to you in one 952 00:41:01,530 --> 00:41:02,090 of these areas. 953 00:41:03,220 --> 00:41:06,580 Maybe God's speaking to you on that aspect of presenting your body, 954 00:41:06,580 --> 00:41:09,700 a living sacrifice, everything about us given over to Him. 955 00:41:10,100 --> 00:41:13,540 Maybe, secondly, God is challenging you in that aspect of 956 00:41:13,620 --> 00:41:16,900 conformity to not conform to this world. 957 00:41:16,980 --> 00:41:21,140 But maybe it is today to trust in God for that transformation process 958 00:41:21,140 --> 00:41:24,740 to happen, to be more and more like him on a daily basis. 959 00:41:26,100 --> 00:41:29,510 Maybe it's just this, that maybe God is challenging you on that 960 00:41:29,510 --> 00:41:30,750 area of renewing your mind. 961 00:41:30,750 --> 00:41:33,430 Maybe you just need to be refreshed and renewed in the truth 962 00:41:33,430 --> 00:41:37,310 of God to think Biblically instead of thinking worldly, to think 963 00:41:37,390 --> 00:41:40,070 Christlike instead of thinking like the enemy. 964 00:41:40,070 --> 00:41:43,390 And so the Bible says to think differently, to be transformed in 965 00:41:43,390 --> 00:41:44,030 that regard. 966 00:41:46,430 --> 00:41:49,230 And lastly, and but most importantly, maybe there's someone 967 00:41:49,230 --> 00:41:51,390 here today who has not taken a step of faith. 968 00:41:52,190 --> 00:41:54,910 Maybe you haven't even started at the starting place of this race. 969 00:41:55,790 --> 00:41:59,190 The Bible says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. 970 00:41:59,190 --> 00:42:01,150 He is the creator and sustainer. 971 00:42:01,150 --> 00:42:03,310 It starts with Jesus, it ends with Jesus. 972 00:42:03,550 --> 00:42:04,710 And so know this. 973 00:42:04,710 --> 00:42:05,790 Jesus loves you. 974 00:42:05,950 --> 00:42:07,630 Jesus died on the cross for your sins. 975 00:42:07,630 --> 00:42:09,510 Jesus rose again on the third day. 976 00:42:09,510 --> 00:42:13,310 And he extends that gift of grace to us so that we can have everlasting 977 00:42:13,310 --> 00:42:13,510 life. 978 00:42:13,510 --> 00:42:16,310 He extended that gift of grace to us so that we can have forgiveness 979 00:42:16,310 --> 00:42:16,870 of our sins. 980 00:42:16,870 --> 00:42:20,710 The Bible says in John 14:6 that he is the way, the truth, and 981 00:42:20,710 --> 00:42:21,190 the life. 982 00:42:21,190 --> 00:42:24,110 No one comes unto the Father, no one comes unto God but through 983 00:42:24,110 --> 00:42:24,430 him. 984 00:42:24,510 --> 00:42:27,750 And so this morning, if you need Jesus as your savior, the Bible 985 00:42:27,750 --> 00:42:31,830 says to call upon the name of the Lord to believe that Jesus died 986 00:42:31,830 --> 00:42:34,470 on the cross for your sins, to believe that he rose again on the 987 00:42:34,470 --> 00:42:34,990 third day. 988 00:42:35,070 --> 00:42:36,590 That's what salvation is. 989 00:42:36,830 --> 00:42:38,030 It's not about religion. 990 00:42:38,030 --> 00:42:39,950 It's not about doing and doing and doing. 991 00:42:40,110 --> 00:42:42,670 It's about faith in the work of Jesus Christ. 992 00:42:42,670 --> 00:42:44,350 And that's what changes us. 993 00:42:44,910 --> 00:42:45,990 I can't change you. 994 00:42:45,990 --> 00:42:49,310 A church can't change you, but Jesus can change you. 995 00:42:50,670 --> 00:42:52,710 And so today we think about that. 996 00:42:52,710 --> 00:42:55,790 And if that's something that you want to understand more, we've 997 00:42:55,790 --> 00:42:56,790 got people standing up here. 998 00:42:56,790 --> 00:42:59,670 I'll be around after the service, and I would love to talk 999 00:42:59,670 --> 00:43:00,830 to you more about that. 1000 00:43:01,390 --> 00:43:03,430 Lord, I pray that you be in this time of invitation, Working 1001 00:43:03,430 --> 00:43:04,110 hearts and lives. 1002 00:43:04,110 --> 00:43:06,350 We're thankful for your grace and your mercy. 1003 00:43:06,430 --> 00:43:10,110 I pray that you can be with us in this process of being transformed 1004 00:43:10,110 --> 00:43:11,070 into your image. 1005 00:43:11,230 --> 00:43:12,470 So, Lord, I thank you for today. 1006 00:43:12,470 --> 00:43:13,470 I thank you for our teachers. 1007 00:43:13,710 --> 00:43:15,470 I pray that you'd be in this time of invitation. 1008 00:43:15,470 --> 00:43:16,470 In Jesus name, amen. 1009 00:43:16,470 --> 00:43:16,560 As.