Sermon for Sunday November 7th, 2021:
“You should be committed…” (Romans 12: 1-2) Please read Romans 12
In Romans 1 -11 Paul has catalogued the mercies of God. To the Christians at Rome he writes their Constitution document: ‘Because of the cross, sin no longer has a claim on you. Your sins are forgiven. Your conscience may trouble you… but you are a new creation. You are justified, which means you are (and will be) pronounced “Not Guilty” when you stand before God. You have peace with God and your fellows because of God’s free gift of the Holy Spirit. You belong to God and nothing can separate you from the love of God. You are secure forever. The Resurrection of Christ means you will live with him in glory. You have each received God’s mercy, newly baptised or a veteran of church life. What you are and what you have in, Christ Jesus, comes not from your own effort. God, out of sheer generosity, put us in right-standing with Himself. You are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.’
That is God’s commitment to us. He loved us first. How should we respond to God’s mercies? ‘Saviour Divine, what can I do for you – how show the love I feel for you?’
“… since we are receiving a kingdom (saved) that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful and worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.” (Hebrews 12: 28)
Surely the first thing we would have to do as changed people is to give thanks to the One who has done this for us. “… in view of God’s mercy… offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” (Romans 12: 1).
Why should we be committed? The answer is simple: In view of… as the result of… as a direct correlation of God’s mercy we should be committed to Him and to living a life that is pleasing to him… out of gratitude.
At my baptism, I declared that “I loved God first, last and every place in between…” I committed myself to serving him with my life and all of my heart. Nearly 20 years on, I know how hard it has been to maintain that consistent commitment made in the first flush of a new born life. I thank God that salvation belongs to Him and that my standing is not based on my “good works”. If it were, who could stand? Perhaps you can identify…
“Hey, did you hear about the new ‘young Christian men’s commitment group’? – it has no members!”
“… the fact is we prefer to think of commitment as something that doesn’t require any sacrifice – If only it was! We all struggle with commitment – but subconsciously we all know what it is. No sacrifice really means no commitment, and in a culture where there’s always something brighter and newer round the corner, and where the fruits of commitment are rarely seen, most people find it less and less appealing….”
The farmyard animals were talking one day about Farmer Brown. The chicken said, “You know, Farmer Brown has been so good to us; we should do something to honour him. I know why we don’t give him a bacon and eggs breakfast.” The pig replied, “That’s fine you -- you just have to make a contribution -- but for me that’s total commitment!”
… offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship…
Here is a picture of serving-worshipping God at all times and in every aspect of life. The chicken makes a contribution which costs very little. The pig gives all.
Jesus told a parable about a man who was forgiven a very great debt. But he was not changed by that mercy. Instead he refused mercy to another man who owed him money, and had that man and his family thrown into prison. The master therefore took vengeance upon that man, and sent him off to be tortured. And Jesus said, this is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart. (Matthew 18)
We SHOULD be changed by the mercy we have been shown. “… If (since, your gift) it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.” (Romans 12:8)
If God has shown you mercy, you too must show mercy to others. “Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors…” (Matthew 6: 12).
It’s easy to make commitments. It is not so easy to live them out, those commitments, to put them into practice. We will see in a couple of year’s time whether the fine-sounding commitments of COP 26 will lead to changed behaviours.
It’s easy to say we love God. But God has said that our love for Him must be demonstrated in our treatment of others. And here is the problem. It involves letting go of our rights. The true cost of commitment to Christ is denial of self.
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
It is not easy to show kindness to people when we think that plainly they don’t deserve it… which brings us back to God’s grace and mercy… God’s favour to us, the undeserving.
Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment… (Romans 12: 3).
So, what’s the problem with commitment?
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. (Romans 12:2)
The Lord set his merciful heart upon Abraham. He promised to bless the man and his descendents with a great inheritance and called the people to share the blessing with the nations around. God’s people Israel failed to live up to this calling. They wanted, instead, to be just like the people around them. To cut a long (painful) story short, they did not change the world; the world changed them – they married into the surrounding culture and took on its gods and idols. In short, theirs was a refusal of commitment to the Lord.
The Phillips version puts it this way: Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its own mould. They wear camouflaged outfits to blend in with their surroundings. We often live as camouflaged Christians. We are chameleons who just try to blend in to our surroundings. But as Christian that is very opposite to what we are called to be. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden…” Our minds become darkened and so filled with the concerns of the world.
What can we do about our commitment?
Not everyone is called to preach, teach or lead, but one thing is for sure there is no one here who isn’t called to serve God and humankind. There is no one here who isn’t equipped to give generously (and some would give the shirt off their back). There is no one here who isn’t commanded to encourage their brother or sister. In these hard times, in these times of discouragement, there is perhaps no greater gift than the gift of encouragement – encourage one another! And everyone (having received the mercy of God) is to show mercy. If you want to worship God and honour him (please him) then exercise your gifts. Or, if you haven’t found it, then discover it. Using your gift is an act of worship. One day we will have to give an account of our commitment to the Giver Himself.
As we prepare to eat bread and drink wine together in Communion I can’t help thinking of the one who presented/surrendered his body as a (the) living sacrifice. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:43)
He offered (committed) everything: his hands, his feet, his head and his heart, his life and his death – perhaps, for all our lapses, we should respond today in thankfulness and service… and renew our commitment to Him and to one another. We should be committed!
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Lord, in your mercy, we ask you to take our flagging commitment to you and your people and turn this into something which is real and holy and pleasing to you. Transform us by the renewing of our minds, and align our wills with yours, in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.
MFR 04/11/21