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Romans 11:25 – 12:8

Calvary Chapel Bible College

April 14, 2021

Homework

Reading (NLT)

Memorize Romans 11:25

(Romans 11:25 NKJV) For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Introduction

The letter of Paul to the Romans is considered Paul’s most important letter. This is why it is placed in front of all his other writings.

When and Where

The year is around AD 57 or 58

In your Bible, we’d place the writing of this letter around Acts 20:2 – that’s about when Paul wrote to the Romans from the city of Corinth.

Paul had been in Ephesus for three years, yet when persecution arose, he makes his way up to Macedonia, writes 2Corinthians at Philippi, and then heads south to Corinth where he writes his letter to Rome.

What it’s about

The first five chapters dealt with justification, how a person is made right with God.

The next three chapters will deal with sanctification, the process where we grow to be more like Jesus.

The next three chapters will unpack the differences between the Jew and Gentile, and God’s plan for His people.

In the last five chapters, Paul will launch into personal, practical matters – how do we live as Christians? What does the Christian life look like? How do we get along with one another?

In building his case for justification, Paul started by showing that

The Gentiles were guilty of sin (ch.1)

The Jews were also guilty (ch.2)

God provided Jesus to pay for our sins (ch.3)

Paul showed that faith like Abraham is all that’s needed for salvation (ch.4)

Paul showed that it’s reasonable for one person (Jesus) to affect all mankind, like Adam (ch.5)

Several weeks ago we moved into Paul’s next section: Sanctification

Chapter 6 talked about the connection between baptism, and the reality that we’ve been buried and raised from the dead, and sin no longer has an unbreakable hold on us.

Chapter 7 was about our continuing struggle of living with the flesh.

Chapter 8 is all about learning to live in the Spirit.

A few week ago we started the section where Paul begins to contrast the Jews and the Gentiles.

Paul talked about the sovereignty of God – how God chooses us and shows mercy to us. (ch.9)

He said that all it took for anyone to be saved was to “call on the name of the Lord” (ch.10)

Even though they are temporarily blinded, Paul has hinted that God isn’t finished with the Jewish people (ch.11)

11:11-36 God isn’t done with Israel

:25 For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

:25 blindness in part has happened to Israel

mystery – musterion – hidden thing, secret; not obvious to the understanding.

What’s the mystery?

That God is using the blindness of the Jews to bring the gospel to the Gentiles.

blindness – porosis – the covering with a callus; blocking of mental discernment, dulled perception.

Paul used a related word back in v.7

(Romans 11:7 NKJV) What then? Israel has not obtained what it seeks; but the elect have obtained it, and the rest were blinded.

Here, it’s just “in part”.

It’s just a temporary blindness.

Not all Jews are blind to the truth about the Messiah, Jesus.

:25 until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

has come in - eiserchomai – to go out or come in: to enter; to arise, come into existence, begin to be

aorist subjunctive

fullness – pleroma – that which is (has been) filled; used of a ship that is filled (manned) with sailors, rowers, and soldiers

has come in – aorist active subjunctive. There is a point of time in which the “fullness of the Gentiles” comes to pass.

Let’s look at how this concept of “fullness” is used in Scripture:

The fullness as the amount of Amorite iniquity.

God has used this concept talking to Abraham about his descendants, how they will go into slavery for four hundred years and then come back to the Promised Land.

(Genesis 15:16 NKJV) But in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”

(KJV – “not yet full”)

The picture is of some kind of measuring vessel like a pot, being filled with the sins of the Amorites. When the pot is filled, then the time will come for Israel to come into the Promised Land.

Israel’s taking of the Promised Land wasn’t just for the sake of giving them a place to live, but also was done as a way of bringing judgment on the wickedness of the Amorites (Deut. 9:5)

(Deuteronomy 9:5 NKJV) It is not because of your righteousness or the uprightness of your heart that you go in to possess their land, but because of the wickedness of these nations that the Lord your God drives them out from before you, and that He may fulfill the word which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Fullness as an expression of salvation.

Paul has already used this term (in this chapter) to describe the Jews coming to trust in Jesus:

(Romans 11:12 NKJV) Now if their fall is riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!

(Romans 11:12 NLT) Now if the Gentiles were enriched because the people of Israel turned down God’s offer of salvation, think how much greater a blessing the world will share when they finally accept it.

When a person comes to trust in Jesus, they achieve a form of “fullness”.

The filled wedding supper.

Jesus told a parable about a man giving a great supper, and invited many people. Yet the servants who issued the invitations kept getting excuses from those invited. The master got quite upset …

(Luke 14:23 NKJV) Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

Jesus is giving us a hint that God likes a “full house”. The original guests who were invited to the wedding feast for the Son refers to the Jews. When the invited guests wouldn’t come, the invitation went out to everyone, to “fill” the house.

Summary:

Fullness can refer to:

A special number being reached

Salvation

A packed house

God has a special number of Gentiles in mind that He wants to be saved. When His “pot” of Gentiles is full, then God will once again turn His attention to the nation of Israel and remove the blindness that is temporarily upon their eyes.

(Note from 1/8/16 – perhaps the “fullness of the Gentiles” (Rom. 11:25) might be the sins of the Gentiles reaching a climax such as the iniquity of the Amorites – Gen. 15:16. The LXX in Gen. 15:16 uses anapleroo, while here it is pleroma)

:26 And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, And He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob;

will be saved – future indicative. It’s not a “possible” sort of thing (“might be saved” or “should be saved”). It’s definitely going to happen.

:26 The Deliverer will come out of Zion

Paul is quoting from the Septuagint version of Isaiah 59:20.

Isaiah foretold of a day when ungodliness in Israel would be dealt with.

:27 For this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.”

:27 I take away their sins

take away – aphaireo – to take from, take away, remove, carry off

Paul is quoting from Jer. 31:31-34, known as God’s “New Covenant” with Israel, where God will forgive the sins of His people.

God’s timetable

There are a couple of passages that give us a clue as to God’s timetable for the nation of Israel:

Daniel 9

Daniel talks about a period of time on God’s calendar where God is working with His chosen Jewish people. Daniel wrote during the time of the Babylonian captivity, when the Jews had been away from their land, living in Babylon. The prophecy speaks of a time of total restoration for Israel.

(Daniel 9:24–27 NKJV) —24 “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city, To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.

The term “weeks” simply means “sevens”. This is talking about a period of seventy times seven time periods, which we believe to be years (490 years). The purpose of these “seventy weeks” is for Daniel’s people, Israel and their holy city, Jerusalem. It will bring an end to their transgression, end sin, pay for their iniquities, etc. Some of these have happened (such as Jesus paying for our sins), but some have not (sins haven’t stopped yet).

25 “Know therefore and understand, That from the going forth of the command To restore and build Jerusalem Until Messiah the Prince, There shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; The street shall be built again, and the wall, Even in troublesome times.

The seventy weeks are broken into sections, the first two sections totally 69 weeks, or 483 years. They would begin at the command to rebuild Jerusalem, which was given by King Artaxerxes on March 14, 445 BC (Neh. 2:5).

You need to keep in mind that Daniel is writing and living in Babylon, and so it’s important to view these as Babylonian years, which contained 360 day years. Translate those years into days (483 x 360) and you get 173,880 days. Starting from Artaxerxes decree, you will end up at April 6, 32 AD, the day that Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey.

(Luke 19:41–42 NKJV) —41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.

26 “And after the sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined.

Daniel says the Messiah would be cut off, but not for Himself. Jesus died on a cross, but not because He was a criminal, He died for the sins of the world.

It’s at this point, where the Messiah is cut off, that I believe God’s time clock on Israel came to a halt. There will be a 2000 year pause. I believe this “pause” is for the sake of us Gentiles, that we might be given a chance to receive God’s salvation. It’s when this “fullness of the Gentiles” is finished, that the clock starts again, and God finishes the process of saving Israel.

Of the seventy weeks, the first 69 are completed. There is yet one week to go. One seven year period. We call this period the “Great Tribulation”.

The “prince that shall come” is a reference to the antichrist (vs.27), and his “people” were the Romans, who came and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70.

27 Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; But in the middle of the week He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering. And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”

It would seem that at this point, God’s time clock will start again. God will once again be dealing with the nation of Israel. I believe this is to coincide with the “fullness of the Gentiles” being over, and God once again dealing with Israel.

Note: Who is God’s focus for the “Great Tribulation”?

It’s Israel (Dan. 9:24). The tribulation starts when God has finished with His dealings with the Gentile church. This is one of the many reasons why I believe that the church will be “raptured” before the Tribulation. The focus of the Tribulation is NOT the church, it’s Israel. The “fullness” of the Gentiles will be complete.

The “he” mentioned here is the “prince that shall come”, the antichrist. The antichrist will make some kind of a covenant, perhaps a peace treaty, with Israel for “one week”, or, seven years. In the middle of the week (after 3 ½ years), he will reveal his true intentions and cause what we call the “abomination of desolation”. This means that he will do something in the temple that is so horrible, that God will call His holy Temple “unholy”, declaring it “desolate”.

We believe this action will be the declaration that he, the antichrist, is God, and worthy to be worshipped (2Th. 2:4)

(2 Thessalonians 2:4 NKJV) who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

It’s at this time, that Jesus has advised the Jews to flee to the wilderness, which perhaps will be Petra or Bozrah (Mat. 24:15; Is. 16, 63).

(Matthew 24:15 NKJV) “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),

Gog/Magog

Ezekiel 38-39 describe an invasion of Israel from a group of nations, led by a nation in the north known as “Gog”. We believe this may be a reference either to Russia, and/or the southern Islamic republics which will join with other nations to invade Israel. God will do a miraculous work, and Israel will be delivered. After this event occurs, God says:

(Ezekiel 39:28–29 NKJV) —28 then they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who sent them into captivity among the nations, but also brought them back to their land, and left none of them captive any longer. 29 And I will not hide My face from them anymore; for I shall have poured out My Spirit on the house of Israel,’ says the Lord God.”

I believe that this pouring out of God’s Spirit upon Israel ties in with both the ending of the times of the Gentiles, as well as God starting His timeclock once again with Israel.

It also seems to fit well with the removal of the church on earth, the work of the Holy Spirit in the church, as a force that hinders the revealing of the antichrist (2Thess. 2:7-8)

(2 Thessalonians 2:7–8 NKJV) —7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. 8 And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.

Lesson

Hurry it up.

(2 Peter 3:9–12 NKJV) —9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 11 Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, 12 looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?

Some wonder why Jesus hasn’t come back yet.

One reason is that God is being patient. He wants more to make it into heaven.

Another way of looking at it – God’s waiting for that last Gentile to come to Christ before He sets these events in motion.

He’s waiting for His “full” number.

How do we “hasten” the coming of the Lord?

Maybe it’s by being open to God’s leading and bringing in those last few converts.

Wouldn’t it be cool to be sharing with your friend about Christ, they say “yes” to Jesus, and we all find ourselves in heaven?

:28 Concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but concerning the election they are beloved for the sake of the fathers.

:28 concerning the election they are beloved

gospel … enemies – The non-believing Jew can be quite hostile to the believing Gentile.

election … beloved – though they can be hostile, that doesn’t change the fact that God still loves them for the sake of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Lesson

Love the Jews.

Even though non-believing Jews can be an enemy to Christians, in God’s eyes they are still beloved.

I can’t imagine why in the world people would hate God’s chosen people. Jesus was Jewish. All the apostles were Jewish.

The reason there is anti-Semitism is because there is a person fueling it. Revelation 12 tells us the real force behind anti-semitism – Satan.

(Revelation 12:13 NKJV) Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child.

We don’t love the Jews because they are nice or because they are good. There are some non-believing Jews who can be quite obnoxious, just like some Gentiles.

We love them because God loves them.

:29 For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

:29 the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable

gifts – charisma – a favor with which one receives without any merit of his own

calling – klesis – a calling, invitation; of the divine invitation to salvation

irrevocable – ametameletos – not repentant of, unregretted

There are two Greek words that are translated “repentance”. One word means “a change of choice” (metanoia), the other means “an emotional change” (metamelomai), the word used here. We could perhaps say, “God isn’t sorry about these gifts and callings”.

The word is only used one other place in the New Testament:

(2 Corinthians 7:10 NKJV) For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.

The good kind of sorrow, the godly kind, makes you turn from your sin. You don’t regret having that kind of sorrow because it brought you to salvation. You’re not sorry for that kind of pain.

I used to take this verse to say that when God gives you a spiritual gift, He doesn’t take it back. But the context is all about Israel and God’s plan for them.

God had called Israel as a nation. Even in their unbelief, God’s call hasn’t changed.

He’s not sorry that He called them.

Lesson

God’s not sorry for calling you.

God’s not sorry for calling us, even if we’ve been reluctant or disobedient.

(Matthew 21:28–32 NKJV) —28 “But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go, work today in my vineyard.’ 29 He answered and said, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he regretted it and went. 30 Then he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, ‘I go, sir,’ but he did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said to Him, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.

Did the father’s call on the first son change when he said “no” to his dad? The call stayed the same, but the reward came from turning from his disobedience and doing what his father told him.

Sometimes we hear stories of how God can use a person in a wonderful way, but that they can fall away from the Lord, even while still doing their ministry. Like Jim Bakker. How could he have been operating in his spiritual gifts during the time of his scandals, when he was living such a carnal life?

Gifts and callings are done by grace, not by what we’ve earned.

Perhaps God has had a special call on your life, but rather than follow after it, you’ve run from it. God hasn’t changed His mind. He’s not sorry He’s given you gifts or callings. He’d love if you got back to it.

:30 For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,

:31 even so these also have now been disobedient, that through the mercy shown you they also may obtain mercy.

:30 you were once disobedient to God

disobedient – apeitheo (“apathy”) – not to allow one’s self to be persuaded; to refuse belief and obedience

We Gentiles were once unbelievers and disobedient to God.

We obtained mercy because when the Jews became unbelieving and disobedient, God extended mercy toward us.

God’s desire is that as we receive God’s mercy, the Jew might become jealous and want to receive God’s mercy as well.

Lesson

Be merciful to the unbeliever.

We can fall into a mindset where the only people we talk to nicely are other Christians. We can become isolated from unbelievers to the point where we never have any contact with them.

We forget that we too at one time were a pagan heathen, just like them. Don’t forget how grateful you were to find Jesus.

God’s desire is that we would show mercy to the unbeliever. He is merciful towards them.

:32 For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all.

:32 God has committed them all to disobedience

committed – sugkleio – to shut up together; of a shoal of fishes in a net

disobedience – apeitheia (“apathy”) – same basic word translated “disobedience” in verses 30-31; obstinacy, obstinate opposition to the divine will

(Romans 11:32 NLT) For God has imprisoned everyone in disobedience so he could have mercy on everyone.

God has trapped people in their rebellion toward Him so that when they get saved, they might realize that they weren’t saved because they were good enough but because He has shown them mercy.

:33 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!

:33 How unsearchable are His judgments

Four things about God:

wisdom – sophia – knowledge put into action

knowledge – gnosis – general intelligence

judgments – krima – a decree, judgments

ways – hodos – a way; a course of conduct; a way of thinking

unsearchable – anexereunetos – that cannot be searched out;

from exereunao – search anxiously and diligently; thoroughly investigate (first used to tell of a dog sniffing out something with his nose).

Even a bloodhound can’t sniff out God’s judgments and ways.

past finding out – anexichniastos – that cannot be searched out, that cannot be comprehended;

from ichnos – a footprint, track, footstep

A hunter might follow the footsteps to find his prey. We can track God’s footprints, but never get to the end of His wisdom or His ways.

God is amazing. He is big. He is way bigger than our ability to understand Him.

Lesson

It’s okay if you don’t understand everything.

I think that sometimes we make the mistake of thinking that we have to understand how all this stuff works. How can God choose me before the foundation of the world, and then I still have the free will to be able to choose Him in this life? How about eternal security? Can I lose my salvation or can’t I? How does this all work?

Illustration

A fable – not a true story …

When Albert Einstein was making the rounds of the speaker’s circuit, he usually found himself eagerly longing to get back to his laboratory work. One night as they were driving to yet another rubber-chicken dinner, Einstein mentioned to his chauffeur (a man who somewhat resembled Einstein in looks and manner) that he was tired of speechmaking. “I have an idea, boss,” his chauffeur said. “I’ve heard you give this speech so many times. I’ll bet I could give it for you.” Einstein laughed loudly and said, “Why not? Let’s do it!” When they arrived at the dinner, Einstein donned the chauffeur’s cap and jacket and sat in the back of the room. The chauffeur gave a beautiful rendition of Einstein’s speech and even answered a few questions expertly. Then a supremely pompous professor asked an extremely esoteric question about anti-matter formation, digressing here and there to let everyone in the audience know that he was nobody’s fool. Without missing a beat, the chauffeur fixed the professor with a steely stare and said, “Sir, the answer to that question is so simple that I will let my chauffeur, who is sitting in the back, answer it for me.”

Sometimes we think that we are starting to figure it all out and feel we can fill in for God from time to time. Maybe it’s even okay once in a while to speak for God. But then you hit a really difficult situation. You don’t have to know everything.

If you were able to understand everything about God perfectly, I would have to conclude that your God is pretty small.

If He is the One who created the universe, don’t you think His mind is just a little bigger than ours?

Chuck Smith:

“For years I sought to reconcile divine sovereignty and human responsibility, eternal security and free moral agency. I pondered them, but I found it futile to search the judgments of God. One day in exasperation I slammed down my fist and said, "God, I cannot reconcile Your sovereignty with my responsibility!" God spoke to my heart clearly and said, "I never asked you to reconcile it. I only asked you to believe it." I've had peace ever since. I still cannot reconcile the difficulties, but I don't have to. I just accept and believe in these truths which remain to me irreconcilable.”

Some of you are going through tremendously difficult times.

I think we have a responsibility to find out of we need to change or respond in a certain way to our circumstances.

But we may not always figure out the “why”.

:34 “For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has become His counselor?”

counselor – sumboulos – an adviser, counselor

:34 Or who has become His counselor?

Paul quotes from Is. 40:13

A.T. Robertson: “Some men seem to feel competent for the job. “

We try sometimes, don’t we? Telling God what’s best?

Lesson

God knows what He’s doing.

(keyword)

I think if we’re honest, sometimes we kind of question that, don’t we? Don’t we wonder sometimes if God really knows what He’s doing?

I think that sometimes we can slip into this when we’re praying. Sometimes we can sound like we’re trying to let God know just how things are, and we’re letting Him in on a little free advice, from us, of course.

Illustration

One afternoon this guy drives down a highway to visit a nearby lake and relax. On his way to the lake, a guy dressed from head to toe in red standing on the side of the highway gestures for him to stop. The guy rolls down the window and says, "How can I help you?" "I am the red jerk of the highway. You got something to eat?" With a smile in his face, the guy hands a sandwich to the guy in red and drives away. Not even five minutes later, he comes across another guy. This guy is dressed fully in yellow, standing on the side and waving for him to stop. A bit irritated, our guy stops, cranks down the window, and says, "What can I do for you?" "I am the yellow jerk of the highway. You got something to drink?" Hardly managing to smile this time, he hands the guy a can of Coke and stomps on the pedal and takes off again. In order to make it to the lakeside before sunset, he decides to go faster and not stop no matter what. To his frustration, he sees another guy on the side of the road, this one dressed in blue and signaling for him to stop. Reluctantly, our guy decides to stop one last time, rolls down his window, and yells, "Let me guess. You're the blue jerk of the highway, and just what do YOU want?" "Driver's license and registration, please."

God is not the “blue jerk” of anything. He knows what He’s doing.

:35 “Or who has first given to Him And it shall be repaid to him?”

:35 And it shall be repaid to him?

(Romans 11:35 NLT) And who has given him so much that he needs to pay it back?

Paul quotes from Job 41:11

Lesson

God doesn’t owe me anything.

It’s we who owe God.

(1 John 4:19 NKJV) We love Him because He first loved us.

We can slip into thinking that because I’ve done this and that for the Lord, that the Lord now owes me a BIG favor!

There are those in the “Word Faith” circles that teach something along the lines of saying that God is somehow obligated to respond to certain things. They say that if you give to God, that God has to give back to you. There is a truth that we will reap what we sow (Gal. 6:7,8) and that if we give, it will be given back to us (Luke 6:38), but God isn’t obligated to us, He is not our debtor. He owes us nothing. We owe Him everything.

Illustration

During the final days at Denver’s old Stapleton airport, a crowded United flight was cancelled. A single agent was rebooking a long line of inconvenienced travelers. Suddenly an angry passenger pushed his way to the desk. He slapped his ticket down on the counter and said, “I HAVE to be on this flight and it has to be first class.” The agent replied, “I’m sorry, sir. I’ll be happy to try to help you, but I’ve got to help these folks first, and I’m sure we’ll be able to work something out.” The passenger was unimpressed. He asked loudly, so that the passengers behind him could hear, “Do you have any idea who I am?” Without hesitating, the gate agent smiled and grabbed her public address microphone. “May I have your attention please?” she began, her voice bellowing throughout the terminal. “We have a passenger here at the gate WHO DOES NOT KNOW WHO HE IS. If anyone can help him find his identity, please come to the gate.” With the folks behind him in line laughing hysterically, the man glared at the United agent, gritted his teeth and retreated as the people in the terminal applauded loudly. Although the flight was cancelled and people were late, they were no longer angry at United Airlines.

If we’re not careful we can slip into thinking that God owes us something. He doesn’t. Instead, we owe Him EVERYTHING.

:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

:36 For of Him and through Him and to Him

Paul breaks out in praise to God.

God is the “source”, everything is “of” Him.

God is the “agent”, everything happens through Him.

God is the “goal”, everything is for Him.

of – ex – out of, from

He is the Source.

All things come from Him. He is the source of all things, the source of all life. There is nothing that doesn’t come from Him.

through – dia – through; by means of; the ground or reason by which something is done

He is the Agent.

Everything happens through Him. He’s the reason things are done or not done.

to – eis – into, unto, to, towards, for, among

He is the Goal.

All things are done for Him.

Why is Paul saying these things?

Because he’s blown away at seeing how God’s mercy is woven through the story of man’s disobedience.

The Jews are disobedient and the Gentiles come to faith.

God then takes the mercy shown and uses it to let the world know that He is a merciful God.

Others see His mercy and respond to His mercy.

God is good.

12:1-2 Living Sacrifices

:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God,

therefore – When you see a “therefore”, you need to ask yourself what the word is there for. Paul is drawing a conclusion. He has something important to say as he draws a conclusion from all the things he’s said before.

beseech – parakaleo – to call to one’s side, summon; to beg, entreat; to instruct, teach

Paul has something important to say. Pay attention.

mercies – oiktirmos – compassion, pity, mercy; a heart of compassion

There are two different words in the New Testament translated “mercy”

“eleeos” is the more common word, used to describe “acts of mercy”

It’s the word that has already been used in Romans 11

(Rom 11:30 NKJV) For as you were once disobedient to God, yet have now obtained mercy through their disobedience,

God has displayed His mercy by the act of withholding judgment from us, not giving us what we deserve.

“oiktirmos” is the word used here and is not just a simple act of mercy, but the heart of compassion that results in the acts of mercy.

A criminal begs a judge for a simple act of mercy.

A hopeless person suffering under great difficulty, needs to know that God already has a heart of compassion, and that will result in God being merciful.

The actions that Paul is going to encourage us to take are not based on whether or not we think we’ve experienced some act of mercy from God.

Our response of worship to God is to be based on the fact that He ALREADY has a heart of compassion and mercy towards us.

Paul is now going to start into the practical part of his letter to the Romans.

Up to now, he’s been kind of theological. But he’s now going to get practical.

Lesson

Theology is practical

Theology isn’t supposed to be just a bunch of boring, difficult words that we don’t understand and that puts us to sleep.

Understanding correctly who God is, who we are, and what God requires of us ought to change the way we live.

And so Paul now draws a conclusion regarding God’s mercies towards us, that we ought to give ourselves to Him.

Lesson

Serving from mercy.

It’s pretty interesting that Paul doesn’t say, “Because God is angry with you and is about to throw thunderbolts at you, you should therefore serve Him”.

But it’s because of His mercy.

I love that song we used to sing, “I will serve You, because I love You, You have given life to me”. That says pretty much the same thing. It’s not because we are totally afraid of God that we serve Him, but because we love Him so much. And we love Him only because He has loved us.

Illustration

David Livingstone wrote in his journal on one occasion concerning his “selfless” life: “People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paying back a small part of the great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind and a bright hope of glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege.”

-- Giving and Living, by Samuel Young, Baker Book House, p.71

Even though we’ll be talking about “sacrifice” today, it’s really more of a privilege to serve the Lord.

I remember when I was young being afraid of giving myself completely to the Lord.

I was afraid that God would ask me to do something I didn’t want to do. I was afraid He’d ask me to do something difficult like go to Africa. Or worse, go to Russia. Or be a pastor.

Our fear of total surrender only comes from our lack of understanding the mercy and love of God.

(Romans 8:32 NKJV) He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

If God loved you so much that He gave His Son to die for you, why in the world would you be afraid of anything else He has for you?

Marriage – since the relationship between husband and wife is often a picture of the relationship between Jesus and His church, I think we ought to be careful that we learn to serve one another not because we “have to”, but because we love each other.

:1 that you present your bodies a living sacrifice,

present – paristemi – to place beside or near.

This is actually a technical term used to describe the offering of a sacrifice (Josephus, Ant. IV. 6, 4). You “present” the sacrifice to your God. (We sing, “I will offer up my life, in spirit and truth …”)

bodies – soma – the body; your physical body

It’s not about public displays of being religious. It’s not about giving just a part of yourself to the Lord. It’s about giving your WHOLE self to the Lord.

sacrifice – thusia – a sacrifice, victim

living – zao – to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead)

Not dead sacrifices, but living ones.

This is a picture of an altar being set up and the victim is laid out, perhaps even tied to, the altar.

Sometimes bad things happen to us and we call it sacrifice.

Illustration

Christian Bear

A country preacher decided to skip services one Sunday and head to the hills to do some bear hunting. As he rounded the corner on a perilous twist in the trail, he and a bear collided, sending him and his rifle tumbling down the mountainside. Before he knew it, his rifle went one way and he went the other, landing on a rock and breaking both legs. That was the good news.

The bad news was the ferocious bear was charging at him from a distance, and he couldn’t move. “Oh, Lord,” the preacher prayed, “I’m so sorry for skipping services today to come out here and hunt. Please forgive me and grant me just one wish: Please make a Christian out of that bear that’s coming at me. Please, Lord!”

That very instant the bear skidded to a halt, fell to its knees, clasped its paws together and began to pray aloud right at the preacher’s feet: “Dear God, bless this food I am about to receive.”

Godly sacrifice is something you make a choice about.

Illustration

General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army, was once asked the secret of his success. General Booth hesitated a moment, then with tears streaming down his cheeks he replied, “I’ll tell you the secret; God had all of me there was to have. From the day I got the poor on my heart and a vision of what Christ could do, I made up my mind that God would have all there was of William Booth—God had all the adoration of my heart, all the power of my will and all the influence of my life.”

The birth of the Salvation Army came about through a man who offered his life as a sacrifice to God.

Illustration

William Booth cites his early efforts to bring God to the slums of London:

I hungered for hell. I pushed into the midst of it, the East Side of London. For days I stood in the seething streets, drinking it all in and loving it all; yes I loved it because I loved the souls that made upon the muddy stream. I went home one night to my wife and said to her, "My darling, I have given myself, I have given you, and I have given our children to the service of these souls."

-- Quoted in Charles M. Crowe, The Years of Our Lord (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1955), p. 14.

Illustration

God does not always choose great people to accomplish what he wishes, but He chooses a person who is wholly yielded to Him.

Henrietta Mears (Bible teacher at Hollywood Presbyterian Church, who remained single all her life, and who taught and encouraged many of today’s great Christian leaders including Billy Graham and Bill Bright).

:1 holy, acceptable to God,

holy – hagios – separated to God; sharing God’s purity; pure, clean sacrifices and offerings

This speaks of something that has been set apart for God’s own use. It speaks of a sacrifice that is pure and “unblemished”.

It’s not talking about us having to clean up our lives before we can give them to God, but it’s talking about not having mixed motives for the things we do.

Why are you giving yourself to God?

Is it because you want something from Him?

Is it so others might be impressed by you, perhaps even like you?

Or is it because He is God, and you must give yourself to Him?

acceptable – euarestos (“good” + “pleasing”) – well pleasing, acceptable

This reminds me of how God viewed the sacrifices done well in the Old Testament:

(Leviticus 1:9b NKJV) …And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

When we learn to truly worship God, to do “worship” as He likes it, then the result is something that is a sweet fragrance to Him.

Think of how the Old Testament sacrifices would smell! Think of the smell of a great piece of steak on the barbecue, or fresh bread baking in the oven. Those are the smells of God’s favorite sacrifices.

:1 which is your reasonable service

reasonable – logikos – pertaining to the reason or logic; agreeable to reason, logical

Lesson

It’s logical to worship.

It just makes sense.

When you look at how God has been so merciful to us, the best way we can respond to Him is in worship.

Chuck Smith:

“To commit my life to God for Him to direct is logical, because God knows the end of a matter from the beginning. God’s wisdom is so much greater than mine. He has never made a mistake and never will. I have made many mistakes and still do. It makes good sense to seek His counsel and guidance and to give my life to His direction.”

service – latreia – service rendered for hire; the service and worship of God according to the requirements of the Levitical law; to perform sacred services

What is worship?

There are several Greek words that could be translated “worship”, different words that give us a fuller idea of what “worship” is all about. One of them is:

worship – proskuneo – to kiss the hand to (towards) one, in token of reverence; to fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence

That speaks of a loving adoration of God. But this “service” is different.

Lesson

Loving Adoration

We see this word used in:

(John 4:24 NKJV) "God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth."

Jesus was talking to the Samaritan woman at the well. They got to talking about how the Samaritans did worship differently than the Jews did. The Samaritans had their temple in another place, they did things differently.

The bottom line that Jesus was saying is that the worship of God doesn’t depend on the place you’re at, but whether your loving adoration of God is coming from your spirit, and whether or not you are following God’s truth.

Many of the songs we do focus on our love for the Lord, expressing our adoration toward Him. I see this as proskuneo.

Lesson

Service and Sacrifice

The word used here in Romans 12:1 (latreuo), is a word that carries the idea of how the Levitical priests would “worship” God in their duties, which included the offering up of sacrifices. It carries both the idea of offering sacrifice as well as the actual work involved in serving God. It’s the kind of work that the priests and Levites performed in their duties in the tabernacle and temple:

(Hebrews 9:6 NKJV) Now when these things had been thus prepared, the priests always went into the first part of the tabernacle, performing the services.

What kinds of things were the priests involved in with their “service”?

Trimming the lamps, putting out the bread, offering prayers, etc.

We are no longer required to offer up animal sacrifices because Jesus fulfilled the need of sacrifice by giving Himself as the ultimate, complete sacrifice.

Yet there are still a couple of sacrifices that we need to give.

Praise

(Hebrews 13:15 NKJV) Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.

One of the kinds of sacrificial offerings we make is through our vocal praise, our thanksgiving to God. This is one of the things that we hope happens during the time of the service that we call “worship”, when we offer our love and thanks to God through our songs.

We can get in a rut and think that this “praise” must be in the kind of music style we personally like, but it can be in all kinds of styles.

My wife and I have been watching “Call the Midwife”, about nurses in the 1950s working in the poor sections of London, overseen by a group of Anglican nuns (who sing pretty well…)

Video: Call the Midwife – Psalm 91

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqQBkll4Cxs

Play just first minute…

Note: Sometimes praise is really a sacrifice. It doesn’t always come easy. Perhaps you’ve had a tough day at work. Perhaps you’ve been arguing with your wife on the way to church. Perhaps you’ve backslidden into a particular sin. Perhaps you’re just tired. That’s when our praise to God is most like a “sacrifice”, when it doesn’t come easy.

When David found the spot where the temple was to be built, the owner of the property offered to just give it to David. But David insisted paying full price:

(1 Chronicles 21:24 NKJV) Then King David said to Ornan, “No, but I will surely buy it for the full price, for I will not take what is yours for the Lord, nor offer burnt offerings with that which costs me nothing.”

Sacrifice involves cost. Otherwise it wouldn’t be a “sacrifice”. Don’t just praise Him when you “feel good”. We need to praise Him even when everything looks bleak.

Doing

This too is seen in the passage in Hebrews 13:

(Hebrews 13:16 NKJV) But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Doing good and sharing (Greek koinonia) are not always easy things to do. They are often a sacrifice.

These are things we do for others, whether ministering to your neighbors, cleaning the church, teaching a Sunday School class.

Lesson

You are not your own.

When you give yourself to God as a living sacrifice, you no longer belong to you.

An animal that was to be sacrificed on an altar was called a devoted thing. When you decided that you were going to sacrifice that animal to God, you had already decided to give it to God, and it was now God’s property.

(Leviticus 27:28 NKJV) ‘Nevertheless no devoted offering that a man may devote to the Lord of all that he has, both man and beast, or the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted offering is most holy to the Lord.

When you “devoted” it, it belonged to God, and it must be sacrificed.

God wants you to “present” yourself to God. You can’t take the gift back.

Illustration

The Rev. Robert Ard, president of the Black Leadership Council, explains the difference between involvement and commitment: “When you look at a plate of ham and eggs, you know the chicken was involved. But the pig was committed.”

We are to be living sacrifices.

We aren’t supposed to kill ourselves. We are a sacrifice that is given to God, but remains alive on the earth. But we are still His property.

Just like those sweatshirts that used to be so popular that said, “Property of UCLA” or stuff like that. We ought to have sweatshirts that say, “Property of Jesus Christ”.

Of course, there is a problem with “living sacrifices”. They tend to crawl off the altar.

You no longer have the right to do what you want with your body. You don’t own it anymore.

(1 Corinthians 6:18–20 NKJV) —18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.

He’s paid a great price for you. Treat His property with care.

Illustration

Soon after Augustine’s conversion, he was walking down the street in Milan, Italy. There he accosted a prostitute whom he had known most intimately. She called but he would not answer. He kept right on walking. “Augustine,” she called again. “It is I!” Without slowing down, but with assurance of Christ in his heart, he testified, “Yes, but it is no longer I.”

Break

:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

:2 will of God

Part of Paul’s aim in these last two verses is to get us to the “will of God”.

For some of us, trying to figure out God’s will is like trying to predict the weather.

Illustration

Predicting The Weather

A film crew was on location deep in the desert. One day an Old Indian went up to the director and said, “Tomorrow rain.” The next day it rained. A week later, the Indian went up to the director and said, “Tomorrow storm.” The next day there was a hailstorm. “This Indian is incredible,” said the director. He told his secretary to hire the Indian to predict the weather. However, after several successful predictions, the old Indian didn’t show up for two weeks. Finally the director sent for him. “I have to shoot a big scene tomorrow,” said the director, “and I’m depending on you. What will the weather be like?” The Indian shrugged his shoulders. “Don’t know,” he said. “Radio is broken.”

For some of us, we try go to “experts” who try to tell us what God’s will is. For some of us, we just feel like the radio is broken and we aren’t hearing anything.

Lesson

God’s will starts with a living sacrifice

Understanding what God wants for your life starts with being a person who is on the altar. I need to let Him have my body to do with as He wants.

It’s total commitment. Being a sacrifice involves total commitment.

It’s not the involvement of the chicken. It’s the commitment of the pig.

If you want to know God’s will, He doesn’t want you “involved” in religion, He wants you “committed” to Him.

Paul goes on to tell us the rest about how to find to God’s will.

:2 And do not be conformed to this world,

conformed – suschematizo – to conform one’s self (i.e. one’s mind and character) to another’s pattern

From schema – everything in a person which strikes the senses, the figure, bearing, discourse, actions, manner of life etc.

This is the outward form of something.

Paul’s painting a picture of clay being squished into a mold, a mold that is shaped by the world.

world – aion – forever, perpetuity of time; period of time, age

aion is usually better expressed by age, it is the world at a given time, a particular period in the world’s history. It might be expressed as the “spirit of the age” or perhaps the “culture of the age”.

It’s keeping up with the current trends and fashions. It’s the pursuit of staying perpetually “cool”. It’s learning to buy everything that Madison Avenue says you ought to buy.

More about this “world” –

1. Satan is called the “god of this world (aion)” (2Cor. 4:4).

2. It’s something that once was a part of our life before Jesus:

(Eph 2:2 NKJV) in which you once walked according to the course of this world…

3. The “world” will ruin your spiritual fruitfulness:

(Mat 13:22 NKJV) "Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world (aion) and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

4. We still need to relate to the world.

It’s not that we should be irrelevant to our “world” around us. I don’t think we need to get rid of our cars and live on farms in the country.

We need to be “all things to all people” for the sake of relating to them and reaching them for Jesus.

(1 Cor 9:22 NKJV) to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.

But we need to be careful that we don’t get shaped by the world and then caught in its trap.

The action part of this phrase (the verb) is a “Present passive imperative”, which means,

“Stop allowing yourself to be in a place where the world shapes you into its mold.”

Lesson

What shapes me?

How do we allow the world to shape us?

Fashion – how do you dress?

Morality

What constitutes marriage? Why even get married?

Information / news / editorializing

Get two people in a room – one watches only NBC news, the other only FOX news. Someone else gets all their news from FaceBook. Ask them what is happening with the Covid-19 crisis. Stand back and watch the fireworks.

I’m not promoting any news sources. My point is that we often form our opinions based on what our news sources tell us, and they may have a bit of a slant to their ideas.

The real issue is: What shapes your life?

Is your life driven by wanting to look good on the outside? Is your life driven by wanting all the things that other people have?

Are you drawing your values from what the world says is right and wrong?

:2 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind,

transformed – metamorphoo – to change into another form, to transform, to transfigure

A couple of years ago there was a movie made from a line of children’s toys, “Transformers” – where cars and trucks are really robots in disguise.

From morphoo – to form

Schema (from “conformed” above) is the outward form of a thing while morphe is the inward quality of a thing.

It speaks of a permanent change, not a temporary one.

Present passive imperative – Allow yourself to continually be in a place where you are permanently changed from the inside out.

How does this change take place?

renewing – anakainosis (“again” + “new”) – a renewal, renovation, complete change for the better

from kainos – new. This is not “new” as something that has just come into existence, but “new” as something that is not old and worn out (“just like new”). It might describe something unusual (“that’s a new idea”).

We don’t have our minds replaced with a new brain, but our old minds are changed into something better.

mind – nous – the mind, what allows you to perceive, understand, and feel.

It’s the way you think. God wants to change the way we think.

Lesson

Renewing

If we do a word study on how this word “renew” is used in the New Testament, we can come up with some helpful ideas of what can renew us.

1. The Word

(Colossians 3:10 NKJV) and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him,

How are we renewed through knowledge? I think it happens through God’s Word.

Being “renewed” is a bit like having a beauty treatment, going to a spa, getting a face lift. Look how Jesus does those things for us:

(Ephesians 5:25–27 NKJV) —25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.

He uses His Word to wash us and make us new.

2. The Holy Spirit

(Titus 3:5 NKJV) not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,

We need to learn to be yielding our lives to the Holy Spirit – allowing Him to work in our hearts and minds.

3. Faith – trusting in the unseen

(2 Corinthians 4:16–18 NKJV) —16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

We are renewed the more we learn to trust God for all our situations.

Lesson

Change your thinking.

It’s the mind that needs to be renewed. It’s the way we think about things. The battle is all over your mind. What will it spend it's time processing?

(Philippians 4:8–9 NKJV) —8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. 9 The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.

When you are in your car, who decides what station to listen to? Who decides what music to play? You do.

You have a choice of what you’re going to put into your mind. God wants you transformed by having your mind made new, by playing His “music”.

Sometimes we can get so preoccupied with a certain situation that it’s all we think about. We work ourselves into a panic, we get depressed, we lose hope.

It wouldn’t hurt every once in a while to “change the channel”, to get your mind off your problem and think about something good.

One way we can do this is through not only reading, but memorizing Scripture.

Illustration

Charles Swindoll writes,

“Why is the expenditure of time and energy so worth the effort entailed in memorizing Scripture? Because our life is lived in our mind. More than 10,000 thoughts a day pass through that gray matter neatly tucked between our ears.

Theologian A.W. Tozer once said, “Our thoughts not only reveal what we are, they predict what we will become. We will soon be the sum total of our thoughts.” The Holy Spirit feeds on the spiritual nourishment of the Word to rewire our mental computer, thereby effectively changing our attitudes and actions.”

– Charles R. Swindoll, The Christian Life, (Vision House, 1994), p. 79.

Illustration

The Indian Chief

An Australian travel writer touring Canada was checking out of the Spokane Hilton, and as he paid his bill to the manager, he asked, “By the way, what’s with the Indian chief sitting in the lobby? He’s been there ever since I arrived.” “Oh that’s ‘Big Chief Forget-me Not’,” said the manager. “The hotel is built on an Indian reservation, and part of the agreement is to allow the chief free use of the premises for the rest of his life. He is known as ‘Big Chief Forget-me Not’ because of his phenomenal memory. He is 92 and can remember the slightest detail of his life.” The travel writer took this in, and as he was waiting for his cab decided to put the chief’s memory to the test. “’ello, mate!” said the Aussie, receiving only a slight nod in return. “What did you have for breakfast on your 21^st birthday?” “Eggs,” was the chief’s instant reply, without even looking up, and indeed the Aussie was impressed. He went off on his travel writing itinerary, right across to the east coast and back, telling others of Big Chief Forget-me Not’s great memory. One local noted to him that “How!” was a more appropriate greeting for an Indian chief than “ello mate” On his return to the Spokane Hilton, six months later, he was surprised to see ‘Big Chief Forget-me Not’ still sitting in the lobby, fully occupied with whittling away on a stick. But, remembering his friends advice he greeted Chief Forget-me Not in the more appropriate fashion. “How?” said the Aussie. “Scrambled,” said the Chief.

It's amazing what the mind can recall.

I believe I can still sing the theme song to The Flintstones.

Yet overall I hope I’m putting something more important into my mind than eggs.

:2 that you may prove …will of God.

If you translate this strictly by word order, you get something like what the NAS has:

(Romans 12:2 NASB95) And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

It’s when you’ve presented your body to God, shunned the mold of the world, and have allowed Him to renew your mind, that you are now in a position to “prove” or “test” what God’s will is.

prove – dokimazo – to test, examine, prove, scrutinize (to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals; to recognize as genuine after examination

from dokimos – accepted, particularly of coins and money.

In the ancient world there was no banking system as we know it today, and no paper money. All money was made from metal, heated until liquid, poured into molds and allowed to cool. When the coins were cooled, it was necessary to smooth off the uneven edges. The coins were comparatively soft and of course many people shaved them closely. In one century, more than eighty laws were passed in Athens, to stop the practice of shaving down the coins then in circulation. But some money changers were men of integrity, who would accept no counterfeit money. They were men of honor who put only genuine full weighted money into circulation. Such men were called “dokimos” or “approved”. (Donald Barnhouse)

will – thelema – what one wishes or has determined shall be done; will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure

This isn’t necessarily God’s almighty decree that He declares and nothing can stop it. But this is a little more the idea of what God desires, what God wishes for us.

Paul has been telling us how to “test” to see if something is God’s will or not.

When you do these things (living sacrifice, not conformed to the world, transformed by renewing the mind), you are entering into the process of testing to see what God’s will is.

Lesson

You are more important than the answer

Sometimes we get consumed with certain issues regarding God’s will. We want some kind of guidance as to the specific decisions we face in life. We want to know who to marry, what job to take, where to live, etc.

But if you pay attention to what Paul says is the key to testing God’s will, it’s all about what kind of person you are becoming, not the specific answer to your question.

It has become my impression that God isn’t as much concerned about specific decisions as He is about what we’re becoming. Don’t get me wrong, I believe God is very concerned about which specific decisions we make. But I believe He is even more concerned about what kind of person we’re becoming.

In the movie “Bruce Almighty”, Bruce is a guy who is unhappy with his life. He blames God and everyone else for his misery.

God decides to give Bruce the job of being God. For a time Bruce has all of God’s powers – and he finds out how difficult it is to be God.

At the end of the movie, Bruce decides to finally quite fighting God and surrender.

Video: Bruce Almighty – Rain and Truck

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SGXZYinnaM

(End after Bruce gets hit by truck)

Some of us are afraid of surrendering ourselves to God completely because we have this idea that we too would be run over by a semi truck as soon as we do.

The thing I liked about this clip was seeing the work that had been done on the character of Bruce – he had changed. It wasn’t that he had learned to pray the magic prayer, but that his prayer came from a changed heart. See the difference?

When you get to the point where you’ve presented your body to God, you’ve refused to be molded by the world, and you’ve been letting Him renew your mind, then you’re in a position to know God’s will.

Pastor Chuck writes,

“Too often we assume that God only reveals His will in exotic ways such as tinglings down the spine or fiery letters in the sky. When I entered Bible college, I learned that some students had seen visions or messages emblazoned in the sky calling them into the ministry. I didn’t have any such experiences. Actually, I had the least spectacular call to the ministry of anyone in school. All I had was a desire to serve God by learning more of His Word. After all these years I’m one of the few from my class still in the ministry. Many former classmates are selling cars or working in some such occupation. I sometimes wonder what happened to those fiery letters in the sky. When we expect the will or call of God to come in dramatic ways, we don’t anticipate the natural ways by which He so often leads us. Many times during the day God’s hand is leading me, but I’m not even aware of it. Some people expect a divine signal system to give them directions. “Turn left! Beep! Beep! Go forward...” They’re looking for the spectacular, so they bemoan the fact that they’ve never been led by God. In looking over my life’s situations, I realize that God has worked out things with perfect timing. My hindsight shows me that my promptings to do a particular thing had come from God. God leads us in natural ways. He said that He would write His Law on the tablets of our hearts.”

Focus on the character that God is building in you, and you will be learning to walk in the will of God.

:2 what is that good and acceptable and perfect …

When you find God’s will, you will find out three things about it:

good – agathos – of good constitution or nature; useful; agreeable, joyful; excellent

There is nothing bad or evil about God’s will.

(1 John 1:5 NKJV) This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.

We all know people who try to trick us and manipulate us to do their “will”, and it’s something that is not a good thing.

But God’s will for us is pure and good.

acceptable – euarestos – well pleasing, acceptable

God’s will is wonderful. This is the same word used to describe the living sacrifices we are to make to the Lord (Rom. 12:1). We are a sweet aroma to the Lord as a living sacrifice, and His will for us is a sweet aroma for us.

perfect – teleios – finished; lacking nothing necessary to completeness

God’s will is all we need. We don’t need to be seeking things outside of God’s will to be complete people.

Lesson

Don’t be afraid of His will.

I think that sometimes we get the idea that God is out to ruin our lives. He’s always doing “good” things for us, but they’re always the yucky, brussel-sprouts kind of “good”. We’re afraid that if we give ourselves totally to the Lord, then He’ll send us to Africa. We’re afraid that if we really stop worrying about who we’re going to marry, and put it in God’s hands, that God is going to pick out some really ugly, weird person with very bad breath.

(Psalm 37:4 NKJV) Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

We often look at that verse and focus on the “promise” at the end and say, “Gosh, I can get whatever I want from God!”

But God’s focus on that verse is to for us to become people who find their delight in Him. The issue isn’t the “getting of stuff”. The issue is whether or not I’m becoming a person who is falling more and more in love with God. And in fact, when I find myself delighting in Him, I find that all the “stuff” fades away and isn’t all that important any more. I find that when I’m delighting in Him, all that’s left in my heart, all the “desires” that are left are only the kinds of things that He desires for me. I’m not so sure this verse is a promise about getting “things”, it’s a promise about getting “desires”.

It doesn’t say He will give us the “dreads” of our heart, but the “desires”.

God’s will is good. It’s well-pleasing. It’s perfect.

12:3-8 Spiritual Gifts

:3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

:3 …think…think…think…

I have to admit that as a Grandpa, those three words make me think of …

Video: Winnie the Pooh – think think think

Three words used in this verse are all related and connected:

think – phroneo – to feel, to think

think … highly – huperphroneo (“over” + “think”) – to think more highly of one’s self than is proper; to be “conceited”

think soberly – sophroneo (“saved” + “think”) – to be of sound mind; to be in one’s right mind; to exercise self control; to put a moderate estimate upon one’s self

It’s used in:

(Mark 5:15 NKJV) Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind.

Paul is kind of saying that to have “self-conceit” is to have a form of insanity.

Lesson

What do you think of yourself?

This part of the passage is going to be talking about how we as Christians are to get along with each other.

How do we relate with each other? How do we work together?

(Luke 14:7–11 NKJV) —7 So He told a parable to those who were invited, when He noted how they chose the best places, saying to them: 8 “When you are invited by anyone to a wedding feast, do not sit down in the best place, lest one more honorable than you be invited by him; 9 and he who invited you and him come and say to you, ‘Give place to this man,’ and then you begin with shame to take the lowest place. 10 But when you are invited, go and sit down in the lowest place, so that when he who invited you comes he may say to you, ‘Friend, go up higher.’ Then you will have glory in the presence of those who sit at the table with you. 11 For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Have you ever been asked to “step down” from something? It’s pretty embarrassing, isn’t it?

The trick is not to put yourself in the place where you have to be asked to take a lower seat.

Thinking too highly of ourselves can lead to two kinds of problems:

1. Looking down on others

I used to think that since I had been to seminary, and since I had been a Youth Pastor, and because I had a home Bible Study, that I could listen to certain pastors teach and think, “I can do better than that!”

There were times when secretly I used to think that Chuck Smith was kind of boring. I know God had used him mightily, but he kind of bored me.

What I came to find out was the more I grew, the more I got from Chuck. The more I grow in the Lord, the less I find myself criticizing some of the teachers on the radio, and instead I often say to myself, “I sure am thankful that MY messages aren’t being put out on the radio for the whole world to hear!”

I’ve found that many times my being critical of others and thinking I could do better was really just a cover for me thinking more highly of myself than I ought to.

2. Pushing your way into a place you’re not ready for.

I think there’s a fine line between having the faith to step out and make yourself available for a ministry, and pushing your way into one.

I don’t think it’s wrong to step out and say, “Hey, I think I can do something here”. I remember years ago when Dave Dunagan made an appointment to meet me in my office at Calvary Anaheim, and played his guitar for me, totally unsolicited by me. How else could I have ever known that Dave played guitar so well if he hadn’t played for me?

But on the other hand, Dave also didn’t tell me what he thought he ought to be doing at Calvary Anaheim. He played for me, and I took it from there.

The places we have the most problems with this attitude are usually the “up front” ministries. Nobody seems to be pushing to help in the Children’s Ministry. But it’s the places that are up front, where you have the spotlight on you, where this problem seems to surface.

Why do you want to do this? What’s your motive behind your ministry?

:4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function,

:5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.

:5 one body in Christ

The church is like a human body.

The body has many parts to it.

All the parts of the body have their own function.

The body isn’t healthy unless all the parts of the body are working properly.

(1 Corinthians 12:14–27 NLT) —14 Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one part. 15 If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that does not make it any less a part of the body. 16 And if the ear says, “I am not part of the body because I am not an eye,” would that make it any less a part of the body? 17 If the whole body were an eye, how would you hear? Or if your whole body were an ear, how would you smell anything? 18 But our bodies have many parts, and God has put each part just where he wants it.

Sometimes we can feel like we don’t belong because we’re not like someone else.

The thing that makes you belong in church is your relationship with Jesus, not the things you do or the things you’re good at.

If you stop functioning as your part of the body, the body is no longer well.

Over the years and many hospital visits, I have seen how unhealthy a physical body is when one of it’s parts doesn’t function properly.

It might be a liver that stops filtering the blood.

It might be lungs that stop oxygenating the blood.

It might be a heart that struggles to circulate the blood.

A body (and church) are healthy when all the parts of the body are doing what they were designed to do.

19 How strange a body would be if it had only one part! 20 Yes, there are many parts, but only one body. 21 The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22 In fact, some parts of the body that seem weakest and least important are actually the most necessary. 23 And the parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we carefully protect those parts that should not be seen, 24 while the more honorable parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together such that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25 This makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other. 26 If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad. 27 All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a part of it.

As members of the body of Christ, we need each other.

None of us can look at another Christian and say “I don’t need you”.

None of us should feel like we don’t belong because we’re not like another person.

The big question is, what part do you play in the body of Christ?

What is your function in the church?

If you think you are not important and don’t have anything to contribute, then we’re all going to be hurting because you’re not doing your part.

You might think that you’re just a “big toe” in the church, but even big toes are important, they are the thing that helps us keep our balance.

Your place in the church is determined by what your “gifts” are.

“Gifts” are special abilities that God gives to each believer.

:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith;

:6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace

grace – charis – grace; an undeserved kindness; that which affords joy, pleasure, delight

gifts – charisma – a favor with which one receives without any merit of his own

literally a “working of grace”

differing – diaphoros – different, varying in kind; excellent, surpassing

from diaphero – to carry different ways

Lesson

Not better, just different

Sometimes we’re like that spoiled kid at Christmas who is never happy with what they got, but instead always want what the other kids got.

And all along we have been given our own special gifts.

Illustration

An ancient Persian legend tells of a wealthy man by the name of Al Haffed who owned a large farm. One evening a visitor related to him tales of fabulous amounts of diamonds that could be found in other parts of the world, and of the great riches they could bring him. The vision of all this wealth made him feel poor by comparison. So instead of caring for his own prosperous farm, he sold it and set out to find these treasures. But the search proved to be fruitless. Finally, penniless and in despair, he committed suicide by jumping into the sea. Meanwhile, the man who had purchased his farm noticed one day the glint of an unusual stone in a shallow stream on the property. He reached into the water, and to his amazement he pulled out a huge diamond. Later when working in his garden, he uncovered many more valuable gems. Poor Al Haffed had spent his life traveling to distant lands seeking jewels when on the farm he had left behind were all the precious stones his heart could have ever desired.

Sometimes the “gifts” we’ve been given come more in the form of difficult circumstances.

Illustration

"The Cross Room"

A young man was at the end of his rope. Seeing no way out he dropped to his knees in prayer. “Lord, I can’t go on,” he said. “I have too heavy a cross to bear.” The Lord replied, “My son, if you can’t bear its weight, just place your cross inside this room. Then open that other door and pick out any cross you wish.” The young man was filled with relief. “Thank you Lord,” he sighed, and he did what he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many other crosses, some so large the tops weren’t even visible. Then he spotted a tiny cross leaning against the far wall. “I’d like that one Lord,” he whispered. And the Lord replied, “My son, that is the cross you just brought in.”

Lesson

Gifts and grace

Grace is something you receive that you don’t deserve.

We get confused with gifts sometimes, thinking that if we would just clean up our lives a little more then God could use us even more.

There is a little bit of truth in that idea.

(2 Tim 2:20-21 NKJV) But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. {21} Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.

God’s desire is for us to be a “vessel of honor”. It’s good to be walking with the Lord.

But the work of the Holy Spirit and gifts don’t always follow the rule that only good people are used by God.

Sometimes God uses completely “unworthy” people.

Sometimes we can get to thinking that if we have a particular gift that we too must be something special.

That’s not necessarily the case.

God once used a donkey to speak to a prophet. I think He still uses donkeys from time to time.

Lesson

Use your gifts

(Matthew 25:14–30 NKJV) —14 “For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.

Don’t think of a “talent” to be something like playing the guitar. A “talent” was a measure of weight, somewhere between 75 and 100 pounds, probably a measure of gold. The master was giving a “gift”, a “treasure”.

16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 ‘For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

God has given different kinds of “gifts” to each of us. He hasn’t given us these gifts to simply be buried in the sand. He wants us to use the things that He’s given us.

This is not an exhaustive list of gifts, but simply a partial list of the kinds of things that God wants us to be doing in the church.

:6 if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith

prophecy – speaking for God

We often think of “prophecy” as being able to see into the future – and sometimes it involves this. But the gift of prophecy is broader than that, it’s a person being open to God using them as His spokesman.

Does God still speak through people today?

Some say that once the Bible was complete, that there has been no more need for prophecy.

The Bible says that it’s when Jesus comes back that we will no longer need prophecy.

(1 Cor 13:10 NKJV) But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.

God does still speak today.

I think that in some Christian circles, where people claim to be using the gifts of the Spirit, that prophecy might be more rare than they wish to think.

It has been my experience over the years that some folks like put themselves in the place of God’s spokesperson because they then have the ability to tell people what to do.

As members of the church, if someone claims to have a word from God for you, you have a responsibility. Test it.

(1 Corinthians 14:29 NKJV) Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.

(1 John 4:1 NKJV) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Do not become people who don’t think for themselves. You have a responsibility to find out what God wants for your life. Don’t let someone else take the responsibility from you.

in proportion – analogia (“analogy”) – proportion (only place this word is found in NT)

An “analogy” (in English) is a similarity between two things, on which a comparison may be based.

faith –

There will be some sort of similarity or comparison between prophecy and faith.

It takes a measure of faith to be able to speak up and share what you think God is saying.

If you don’t think it takes faith, then you don’t understand the seriousness to be claiming to be a spokesperson for God.

(Ezekiel 13:3 NKJV) Thus says the Lord God: “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

(Deuteronomy 18:20 NKJV) But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.’

From time to time when we are praying for someone or when someone is sharing that they will say,

“I think God would want to say …” That’s a good way to put it, “I think”

But be very careful about being too quick to say “Thus says the Lord”.

:7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching;

:7 ministry, let us use it in our ministering

ministering – diakonos – one who executes the commands of another, a servant

Over the years the church has taken this term and turned it into some sort of highly exalted title, a “Deacon” of the church.

It simply means a servant.

We all need to be serving.

When James and John asked Jesus if they could be the “top dogs” in His kingdom, He replied:

(Mark 10:42–45 NKJV) —42 But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 43 Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 44 And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. 45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

The word for “servant” in v.43 is diakonos.

The servant is the greatest.

When you go to a restaurant and the hostess seats you, she will often say, “Your server will be with you in a moment”.

A waiter or waitress is a great example of what it means to “minister” or “serve”.

A good server not only responds to the requests of their customer, but they also anticipate what is needed.

They don’t need to be asked to do something, they see a need and take care of it.

F.B.Meyer: “I used to think that God’s gifts were on shelves one higher than the other. The higher you reached the more you received. Now I know that God’s gifts are actually on shelves one lower than the other and the lower you bend the more you receive.”

:7 he who teaches, in teaching

teaches – didasko – to teach

If teaching is what you do, then do it.

If you do well at explaining things to people, then find a spot to be teaching.

Keep your skills up. Don’t just wait until the pastor asks you to fill in for him on Sunday. There are lots of opportunities to be teaching.

It might be in a sober living home.

It might be in Children’s ministry.

Be careful about brushing off Children’s Ministry. I’ve heard it said that if you can teach 6^th graders, you can teach anybody.

It might be in youth ministry.

Our new Senior pastor, Caleb Beller, didn’t get his teaching experience filling in for me – he taught at his Karate studio, he’s taught Children’s Sunday School, Jr. High, College/Career, any place that would take him. He found himself teaching at the Bible College in Hungary. And now he’s a Senior Pastor.

:8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

:8 he who exhorts, in exhortation;

exhorts – parakaleo – to call to one’s side for help.

As I’ve studied this word and its usage, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are two main ideas behind it:

1) Encouragement to action.

Getting someone off the sofa and doing something.

2) Comforting others.

Those that are discouraged, those that are full of sorrow, we need to “comfort” or “encourage” them.

Barnabas was one of the chief “encouragers” of the Bible (his name means “son of encouragement”)

(Acts 4:36 NKJV) And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,

(Acts 11:23 NKJV) When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord.

Barnabas was keeping the church moving in the direction of holding on to the Lord. He was the one who kept saying, “come on, you can do it, you can keep walking with Jesus!”

(Acts 14:22 NKJV) strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

Encouragement can be the exhortation to “keep going!”. It does not have to be done by telling some kind of fairy tale either. Paul and Barnabas reminded the people that they would face many trials as Christians, but they also encouraged them to keep trusting in the Lord.

:8 he who gives, with liberality

gives – metadidomi – to impart

liberality – haplotes – singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty; the virtue of one who is free from pretense and hypocrisy; not self seeking, openness of heart manifesting itself by generosity

Two ideas to think about.

Give liberally – Be generous in your giving to others.

The word is used in:

(2 Corinthians 9:11 NLT) Yes, you will be enriched in every way so that you can always be generous…

Give with no strings attached.

Some people will give things to you, as long as you will be their friend, or say nice things, or wash their car for them…

:8 he who leads, with diligence

leads – proistemi (“before” + “to stand”) – to set or place before; to be over, to superintend, preside over

diligence – spoude – earnestness, diligence

(Romans 12:8 NLT) …If God has given you leadership ability, take the responsibility seriously.

Diligence is supposed to be a part of leadership:

(Proverbs 12:24 NKJV) The hand of the diligent will rule, But the lazy man will be put to forced labor.

Illustration

Shortly after he opened his first plant, Thomas Edison noticed that his employees were in the habit of watching the lone factory clock. To the inventor who was a tireless worker, this was incomprehensible. He did not indicate his disapproval verbally. Instead he had dozens of clocks placed around the plant, no two keeping the same time. From then on clock watching led to so much confusion that nobody cared what time it was.

Are you a “clock-watcher” or a hard worker? That may be the very factor that determines how much potential you have as a leader.

:8 he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness

mercy – eleeo – to have mercy on; to help one afflicted or seeking aid

You will often see this word when Jesus meets a person in great need:

(Matthew 9:27 NKJV) When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, “Son of David, have mercy on us!”

(Matthew 15:22 NKJV) And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

How could you see this gift of “mercy” at work?

Helping those in need – phone calls, hospital visits, shut-ins, those with addictions, helping the poor, any kind of need.

cheerfulness – hilarotes – cheerfulness, readiness of mind;

from hilaros – cheerful, joyous, prompt to do anything

Acts of mercy ought to be accompanied by the attitude of cheerfulness and compassion.

This is the Body of Christ.

Prophecy, serving, teaching, exhortation, giving, leading, mercy

Are you aware that you might have some of these gifts? What are they?

Pericope Project

11:11-36 God isn’t done with Israel

12:1-2 Living Sacrifices

12:3-8 Spiritual Gifts

Homework

Reading in NASB

Memorize Romans 12:1

(Romans 12:1 NKJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.

Prayer requests

Quick Quiz

God knows what He’s doing

Not better, just different