All In! (Part 1 of 2)

The apostle Paul urged church of Rome to present their bodies as a living second set actually mean look like will hear answers today on Truth for Life as we continue a series called lessons for life. Here's Alistair Begg with part one of a message titled all Romans chapter 12 verse verse one I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. While we have sung our prayer to God. Revise for him to speak to us beyond the voice of a mere man for the Holy Spirit to conduct that divine dialogue that is mysterious and yet actual, when we suddenly realize that were not simply listening to somebody who's shown up with some information to provide. But some are another in the mysterious purposes of God that God is engineered this moment and brought us to this place in order that we might hear from him, the one who is the author of this book. I haven't come to tell you things that you are unaware of. I've come simply to remind you of something that you must never forget, and then a phrase. It is this the immense privilege and the essential prerogative of being sold out for God. That really is the emphasis of the call that is here in these opening two verses and it is what is on my mind as I come to this Argos student body representative of so much potential. Not only now in the immediate future but also as you think of your life's unfolding for you and I've had in my mind at the point by oxen, which I will quote in its entirety, lest I forget it, but for those of your English majors. You will know oxen unspoiled to everyone there open at the way and the ways in the way in the high sold tribes. The high road and the low soul gropes the low and then between on the misty flats. The rest drift to and fro in the sense that I'm here to say to you, don't waste your life would be a dreadful shame to have had such a wonderful start in this place and then for people to find you when you become those who are walking under the banner of the alumni that welcomed me here this morning and you find yourself saying to one another 10 to 20 years on what I guess we were brimful of so many expectations and so much opportunity such potential outside that we find ourselves greeting one another on the misty flats. Those who have made an impact for God have always been sold out for him. On one occasion, Gen. Booth of the Salvation Army was asked how do you think it is that God has made such use of you since you are a fairly insignificant figure and he replied in this way, Jesus Christ has all of me. Jesus Christ has all of me when Jamie Phillips paraphrase this opening section of Romans 12 he did so in this way, with eyes wide open to the mercies of God, I begged you, my brothers and sisters as an act of intelligent worship to give him your body's know he's not issuing a genetic called to anybody who happens to be within earshot of the letter. Anybody who wants to try and do their best for God is aware, nor is he issuing a call to individuals who are interested. If you like and going to a higher level or a deeper level of consideration of the things of Jesus know this is basic Christianity and those to whom he writes living in the Rome of Ignatius, although prior to the time of Ignatius and empire that stretched at that time from Britain all the way to Arabia, but never managed to capture Scotland at the it is to people living in in that employees said with a measure of smugness.

I forgive me for that and and it is the people living in that environment that he issues this call he's address them at the beginning of the letter. You can check this on your own. He addresses them in chapter 1 as saints to the saints and wrong. Those who been set apart from sin to God. He addresses them in chapter 6. Not only is those who are saints by those who are slaves no longer recess slaves anymore to what you one swear, but now you have become slaves to righteousness. You have discovered that the greatest freedom you will ever know is in being a bondslave of Jesus Christ that it is when we lay down the arms of our rebellion that we discovered genuine freedom so the recipients are those in the tone with which he writes you will notice is a pastoral tone.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters.

He's not giving a suggestion, nor is he actually issuing a command, but his tone is one of entreaty. It's one of urgency is the kind of a pastoral arm around the shoulder from which each of us have benefited when folks have come around us and said come on now, let's make sure that were not missing out on this wonderful opportunity and the basis of his appeal is the mercy of God, or the mercies of God, I appeal to you therefore, brother, by the mercies of God, and when you think about all of that and you track bike through Romans. You realize just what a comprehensive understanding. The apostle Paul had of the mercies of God, and of course if you think about it, it makes sense doesn't it. I was reading this morning and part of my reading this morning was in acts in acts chapter 8 and they are, of course, Luke is recording for is the persecution that emerged at the front of which was Saul of Tarsus beating people and imprisoning them and chasing them down, all because they named the name of Christ, so that by time. He's beginning to write his letters. He's prepared to identify himself as the one who was the chief of sinners as a most untimely addition to the apostolate that and as someone who understood the mercy of God.

So he says I appeal to you therefore, on the basis of God's mercy, the mercy that finds its absolute apex in the work of Jesus upon the cross was very important that we notice his approach and it is an approach that is not unique to Romans, but it runs really through the entirety of the way in which he writes letters and again for those of you who are English majors, or wish you were a little grammar helps what he does here is in the imperative. He is now in the realm of saying come on let's go.

But you will notice that he never issues the imperative that is if you like moral without first of all, having provided the indicative which is theological so that for example before in Colossians 3 he says see says you know you must seek those things which are above he precedes that by saying since then you have been raised with Christ. That's the doctrinal indicative seek those things which are above that is the moral if you like imperative and so what he's done here is he's written all of these chapters as we have them in English as he is laid out the nature of the redeeming work of Jesus and now he says to them. This is what you need to do this is how you need to walk in appeal on the basis of God's mercy and appeal to those who come to believe that on the cross, Jesus took the punishment that we deserve that on the cross he provided the forgiveness that we don't deserve so that we are marked by a genuine selflessness and humility that the Christian living in Rome, was to be marked by these evidences of the work of God within their life's which turned them into individuals who went about their daily routine. The everyday events of life live thing under the sunshine of the father's love displayed in his mercy in the work of Christ upon the cross. I know that the Heidelberg catechism gets a fair amount of mention here, and therefore it may simply join the program band in reminding you of question two and the answer to question two question two of the Heidelberg. What must you know to live and die in the joy of this comfort. That is the comfort provided in the answer to the Heidelberg number one. What do you need to know to live and die in the joy of this comfort. How do you die like Ignatius. In other words, answer number one how great my sin and misery are to how I am set free from my sin and misery and three how I am to thank God for such deliverance. Okay, so the recipients are saints and slaves. The tone is not that of suggestion or command, but is of entreaty and urgency and the appeal is on the basis of the mercy of God, the nature of the appeal itself is to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship, or which is your reasonable spiritual services translated differently in a variety of our versions. What Paul is actually doing here is a form of recapitulation he is coming back to themes that have already been present in this wonderful symphony of God's grace and in chapter 6. As we have it in our English version. At least he has reminded those who are his readers not to let sin reign in your mortal body to make you obey its passions do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life.

In other words, here again is what is true of you. This is the indicative you have been brought from death to life.

If you are in Christ. You are a new creation.

Therefore, present your members to God as instruments for righteousness when a census is no farther than most of us have experienced when we went to Sunday school as tiny children, and the simplicity of it. The reality over the necessity of it.

I confess to you is as real, if not more real than it was when I used to sing it at five or nine.

Remember the song bribed you saying it to all be careful little feet where you go or be careful little feet where you go because there's a father up above the knees, looking down in love, so be careful little feet where you go you see how practical this is this is going to take the mercies of God, this is going to take the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. This is not a call to externalism Paul before he came to Christ, said that he was a master of legalistic righteousness. He said I was faultless when it came to dart in the eyes and crossing the T's.

But then he said I discovered I discovered in myself a covetous heart have often wondered covetous heart of all things. He had a covetous heart.

I wonder if he didn't covet. I wonder if he didn't covet the man whose martyrdom. He stood Stephen and he said with his provider through your coats down here and he saw this man lift his face is up to heaven to declare in all of his great affirmation of faith without great white martyrdom crew was to declare after him.

I wanted Paul fine covetousness in his heart there doesn't really matter but by now he says it is the mercy of God that is brought me here and it is God's mercy that will take you there. You see, without your body you, but no way of relating to anybody else. This morning it's your body that started all.

What is your mouth your ears your eyes whatever it is, without our bodies with. There's no way to relate to each other.

It is by our bodies that we give ourselves that we give ourselves everything we are all that we have all that we think or feel all the influence that we can answer exert on others. All the differences that we can make in the world. All of it, all of it every every every dunk to the glory of God. Every behind the.

The backpacks, to the glory of God. Every hundred meters dash to the glory of God. Every scientific experiment, to the glory of God. Every business plan written to the glory of God. Every embrace every reception of an embrace all use of my hands. All of me all the time. Always forgot that's what he said he saying guys. I want you to be all in all, in when I come to Southern California. It makes me think of all kinds of things, and especially down in Canyon country.

I egg I think I can see places where they shot some of those Western movies that I was watching before you were even conceived of in your parent's heads and they were for the Irish. Sometimes I watch them now. I think II make a mistake and buy DVDs thinking oh rawhide. I bet that's really good. You know, or the Virginian, and then it is some of the worst stuff you've ever seen in your life you can actually see some of the microphones hanging down on this on the said and everything in it. People blowing the wind but for the one thing I still love the one thing is the love are the gambling scene. Not because I'm a gambler. I actually don't really understand how to do any of that stuff. I have been to Las Vegas and I did gamble. I went there with a friend. I got 1/4. I put it in full. The thing nothing happened and then I left so that if anybody if anybody ever said have you ever been gambling in Vegas. I have to say yes I have, yes, I was there and I did. I gamble extensively at $0.25 worth and Scott know but I love the gambling seems when the guy with the Sarnoff the thing in that little bit of drool to the stogie you know he sets and then it's all good scanner sweaty in the room and the people are perspiring and and and he gets very quiet and somebody's got a big big water chips and apparently they're all waiting to see what is going to do and that is to spilt ski feeling building right now and then it goes into and then and then he pushes he pushes them into the sand euros I'm all in your life for this is a play then that's when the greater the that's when the guy Cox is gone you know is like in the end, and it is just fantastic.

You say you need to get a life manager watching the stuff for your age is just too bad. But now you've got the picture. Haven't you all in your knowledge of sin for God that any holdout areas when he's calling for is actually a commitment of life that is a living commitment that is a lasting commitment and that is a logical commitment. Actually the word in Greek is low because which gives us our word logos, logical limit finishing this way 43 years ago today I was in London who will be do you know but I was I was in London I remember it perfectly. I was in London I was in Carnaby Street and I bought a postcard and I bought a postcard to send to a girl, a girl that I had met 43 years ago yesterday. And if you're nice I'll introduce you to her on Wednesday when she comes with me but I decided to write a letter to this girl Sandra postcard and said, in case somebody else jumped in ahead of me and and I figure there's no there.

If you're going to invest my as well invest when the stock is low and and so that's that's to buy low and sell high. In this case, by law, and don't ever sell, but the fact of the matter is I we began a fledgling correspondence with one another that we wrote letters to one another, separated by 300 miles and then after a few years separated by 3000 miles as we were separated by the Atlantic Ocean and we used to write that ridiculous Valentines cards to each other and that you put rhymes on them. In those days is also playful. Now but II came up with a wonderful one. It went like this on my love is like a cabbage which is immediately endearing arm.

You can see my love is like a cabbage which divided into two the leaves. I will give to others by the heart. I'll give to you, to which the reply should be Jewish.

The reply should be no jolly likely no jolly likely for the last 36 years of marriage I have been fiercely concerned to ensure that I don't share any of the leaves with anyone else other than her and that she herself is sharing none of those leaves with anyone other than me I think is legitimate for her to ask me to be all in, and vice versa. And after all, when Paul writes of marriage in Ephesians 5 he says and what I'm actually talking about is the great mystery of Christ and the church Jesus all in for you on the cross. Now, how about you all in for him with the rest of your life but an immense thought what a wonderful privilege. How unattractive the misty flats sound in that kind of context so our you all in listening to Truth for Life. Alister Bragg challenging us to be totally sold out for God. Devotion to God can be a real challenge. In an age of social media. If you're the parent of a teenager you know just how vulnerable they are to having their faith tested these challenges only intensify as they enter college and that's why we highly recommend a book called surviving religion 101 letter to a Christian student on keeping the faith in college. This book was written for college-age kids in each chapter of surviving religion 101 reinforces what Christians believe and why we believe it. The book anticipates the kinds of questions your son or daughter will be asked quality school or at work.

The book offers biblical and intelligent advice on how to respond to non-Christian thinking. For example, one chapter explains why the Gospels are trustworthy. Even though some details seem contradictory.

Another chapter explains why science and Christianity are not mutually exclusive.

And there's another chapter. The covers why we can be completely confident that the Bible is God's word.

If you have children who are still in high school book surviving religion 101 provides terrific conversation starters for you and your teenager so you can advise them on how to stand firm on their beliefs before those beliefs are put to the test, you can request your copy of surviving religion 101 with the donation today. Simply click the image on the app or visit us online at truthforlife.org/donate if you prefer you can call us at 888-588-7884 and if you have a college-age son or daughter, let me encourage you to suggest they follow Truth for Life on Instagram.

The received daily Bible quotes from Alister links to sermons to great way for them to be in God's word every day while at school, they can find us by searching for Truth for Life on their Instagram app. Now here's Alister with the closing prayer father, thank you that we have a Bible to which we can turn thank you that we can examine the Bible to see if what is being said is actually in and I pray that you will accomplish your purposes in each of our life's help is never to be a hindrance to each other but I held as we seek to follow Christ as we step out in the pathway of obedience linking hands throughout the centuries with Paul himself with Ignatius and all the others. We commend each other in the state to you in Christ name on Bob Lapine blending in is how some animals and insects survive.

It's not what Christians are called to do.

Be sure to listen tomorrow as we hear part two today's message including an urgent warning against conforming to the ways of the world Bible teaching of Alister Bragg is furnished by Truth for Life.

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