A Renewing Mind

A Renewing Mind

Romans 12:1-2

Let me introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Midkpokhoghian (In Armenian it means those who constantly change their mind). A couple years ago they started to attend a church that sang wonderful worship songs. A few months later they changed their mind, because they found that their church was too formal. They found a church with a more casual worship service, with contemporary music. Some months later they found yet another church with better teaching. A few months later they jumped to another church with better youth programs. It is easy to be worshippers without making any commitment.

This morning we are going to talk about a mind which is focused on Christ. My title is: a Renewing Mind. A mind which is not static, (which, by the way, does not mean to jump from one church to another). Our annual poster indicates that. (Please look at the picture). It shows running water, which renews the river and lake, continually and constantly. Only God can do that in our lives. CACC chose this as our theme in 2008-2009: “A Renewing Mind.”

My aim as pastor is to help you move further in your Christian growth. We find many church members who attend churches, make decisions for Christ, and yet have not made a commitment to Christ.

I like the illustration of a pilot who drives a huge jumbo jet 747 plane. On the runway there is a line that marks the take off. After passing that line, the pilot does not have the option of staying on the ground. The pilot cannot change his/ her mind; the plane will crash. The pilot should stay committed to his/her decision.

Unfortunately we find in churches members never get off the ground. They are happy and enthusiastic in the church, they like the sermons, the songs and the activities. They just make noise, sometimes huge noise, getting nowhere, and not taking off. What is the use of a plane just on the ground?

I want to encourage you to take off from the ground. I want to be your mentor to teach you to stand up on your feet asking God to equip you to be His instrument. Let us go to the first two verses of Romans 12.

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritualact of worship.”

- “I urge you.” Paul is urging the early church of Rome. He does not command them; he “urges” them or “beseeches” them. It means it is voluntary act. And it is indeed completely up to you, either you commit to have a renewing mind or not; there is no middle way.

- “Offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” For Greek and Roman society bodies were not very important. For the Greek, what mattered was the spirit and not the body. Paul is challenges them and urges them to dedicate (offer) their body (mind ,soul) to our Lord Jesus Christ. How can one be “living” yet “sacrificed”. The example is in Jesus. He became the ONLY sacrifice for our sins, and because of that sacrifice we have LIFE. Jesus is the ultimate example of a “living sacrifice.” In the same way, we will bring our lives to Christ to be “living sacrifices”. As Christ lives in us, our earthly sinful nature dies.

- “This is your spiritualact of worship.” We sometimes think of worship as the Sunday morning church worship time. The NIV commentary puts it well: “Worship is the way we live, not what we do on Sunday morning.”¹ Worshiping God should be our lifestyle. How can we do that? The second verse gives the answer.

We will continue in English.