a living sacrifice

Romans 12:1-2 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. (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.

A LIVING SACRIFICE
A. In chapter eleven Paul has dealt with the Gentiles being
puffed up against the Jews because they had accepted
Christ and the Jews had rejected Him.
B. He warns them that just as the Jews were cut off, they
could be also.
C. In chapter twelve Paul tells them what they need to do
to prevent the same thing that happened to the Jews
from happening to them.
D. They must present their bodies as a living sacrifice.
E. That sacrifice must be holy and acceptable to God.
F. It is the reasonable thing for them to do since Jesus died
for them on the cross.
G. The same thing is true for us today.
H. How do we present our bodies as a living sacrifice?

I. BY NOT CONFORMING TO THE WORLD.
Rom 12:2 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.

II. BY BEING HUMBLE.
Romans 12:3-5 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. 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.

III. BY USING OUR ABILITIES FOR GOD.
Romans 12:6-8 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; 7 or ministry, let us use
it in our ministering; he who teaches, in
teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he
who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with
diligence; he who shows mercy, with
cheerfulness.

IV. BY TREATING OTHERS RIGHT.
Romans 12:9-10 Let love be without hypocrisy.
Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. (10)
Be kindly affectionate to one another with
brotherly love, in honor giving preference to
one another;

V. BY DILIGENTLY SERVING THE LORD.
Romans 12:11-12 not lagging in diligence,
fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; (12) rejoicing
in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing
steadfastly in prayer;

VI. BY SHARING WITH OTHERS.
Romans 12:13 distributing to the needs of the
saints, given to hospitality.

VII. BY BLESSING YOUR ENEMIES.
Romans 12:14 Bless those who persecute you;
bless and do not curse.

VIII. BY HAVING EMPATHY TOWARD
OTHERS.
Romans 12:15-16 Rejoice with those who
rejoice, and weep with those who weep. (16)
Be of the same mind toward one another. Do
not set your mind on high things, but associate
with the humble. Do not be wise in your own
opinion.

IX. BY OVERCOMING EVIL WITH GOOD.
Romans 12:17-21 Repay no one evil for evil. Have
regard for good things in the sight of all men. (18)
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live
peaceably with all men. (19) Beloved, do not
avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath;
for it is written, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,"
says the Lord. (20) Therefore "If your enemy is
hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink;
For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his
head." (21) Do not be overcome by evil, but
overcome evil with good.

X. BY BEING A LAW-ABIDING CITIZEN.
Romans 13:1-7 Let every soul be subject to the governing
authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and
the authorities that exist are appointed by God. (2) Therefore
whoever resists the authority resists the ordinance of God,
and those who resist will bring judgment on themselves. (3)
For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you
want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and
you will have praise from the same. (4) For he is God's
minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he
does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God's minister, an
avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. (5)
Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but
also for conscience' sake. (6) For because of this you also pay
taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to
this very thing. (7) Render therefore to all their due: taxes to
whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to
whom fear, honor to whom honor.

XII. BY FULFILLING YOUR DEBT OF LOVE.
Romans 12:8-10 Owe no one anything except to
love one another, for he who loves another has
fulfilled the law. (9) For the commandments, "You
shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder,"
"You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false
witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any
other commandment, are all summed up in this
saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as
yourself." (10) Love does no harm to a neighbor;
therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

XIII. BY WALKING IN THE LIGHT.
Romans 12:11-14 And do this, knowing the
time, that now it is high time to awake out of
sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than
when we first believed. (12) The night is far
spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast
off the works of darkness, and let us put on the
armor of light. (13) Let us walk properly, as in
the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in
lewdness and lust, not in strife and envy. (14)
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no
provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts.

XIV. BY ACCEPTING ONE ANOTHER IN SPITE OF
DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS. Romans 14:1-15:7
Romans 14:1-6 Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not
to disputes over doubtful things. (2) For one believes he may
eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. (3) Let
not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not
him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has
received him. (4) Who are you to judge another's servant? To
his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to
stand, for God is able to make him stand. (5) One person
esteems one day above another; another esteems every day
alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. (6) He who
observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does
not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He
who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he
who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God
thanks.

XIV. BY ACCEPTING ONE ANOTHER IN SPITE OF
DIFFERENCE OF OPINIONS. Romans 14:1-15:7
Rom 14:13-18 Therefore let us not judge one another
anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block
or a cause to fall in our brother's way. (14) I know and am
convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of
itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to
him it is unclean. (15) Yet if your brother is grieved because of
your food, you are no longer walking in love. Do not destroy
with your food the one for whom Christ died. (16) Therefore
do not let your good be spoken of as evil; (17) for the
kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness
and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (18) For he who serves
Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by
men. (19) Therefore let us pursue the things which make for
peace and the things by which one may edify another.

ARE YOU A LIVING SACRIFICE?
A. Are you presenting your body as a living sacrifice.
B. A sacrifice has no say in how it is sacrificed.
C. We must die to self and live for Jesus, each day.
Luke 9:23-26 Then He said to them all, "If anyone
desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross daily, and follow Me. (24) For
whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. (25)
For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole
world, and is himself destroyed or lost? (26) For
whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him
the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in
His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy
angels.

TONIGHT’S SERMON
AS CHRISTIANS WE ARE…

a living sacrifice

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a living sacrifice