Get the Very Best From God | Romans 12:2
This message was preached at Sherwood Community Friends Church on Sunday, May 23, 2021. You can watch the video in full by clicking below.
Last week, we discovered 4 things that God wants us to receive from Him. God wants us to receive from Him His word, His mercy, His direction, and His presence. These gifts to receive are not just a one and done sermon message! God wants us to receive these things from him on a daily basis. So, today, through the lens of all we have received, we will continue our breakdown into how to apply Romans 12.
Let’s read together our verse for the day.
“Do not conform 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 NIV
Practice God’s Will (his good, pleasing, and perfect will)
Let’s pause for a moment and reflect on the second half of the verse. Did you know that God’s will is GOOD……. PLEASING………. And PERFECT.
Romans 8:28 - “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:19 - “And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
God’s will is to glorify his name. This is why Jesus was sent to earth. Jesus reminds us there are only 2 commandments - Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
Love God and Love People. Both of these commandments bring glory to God.
Christians will often pray for God’s will to be known to them. It is vague and elusive and we just can’t seem to wrap our minds around which path to go down.
We question why people we love are taken from us or how we could be caught in economic crisis when we are doing all the right things. You may actually find yourself in this season right now, unsure of God’s will and questioning him. Know there is hope for you today. God’s heart is to show you His will for you to test and approve - meaning to discern and act upon.
The question remains - how?
Practice God’s Rest (do not conform to the pattern of this world)
The world sends us lots of messages. When we hear the phrase “Do not conform to the pattern of this world…” it’s easy to think about scandalous behaviors, like inappropriate sexual relationships, alcohol or drug addictions, or greed-based offenses.
Last week, I referenced the respectable or acceptable sins. In his book, Jerry Bridges, talks about many sins that we glaze over as Christians and count them not as bad as others. Things like worry, anxiety, gossip, and overworking?
God’s encouragement to us is that we do not have to conform to these lifestyle choices the world would have us believe is normal. We are free to choose God’s path. We don’t have to be a slave to the voices of the world.
Practice God’s Word (be transformed by the renewing of your mind)
God’s directive to us - Be transformed by renewing our mind.
Habit is the largest dictator of our life trajectory. We settle into routines and ruts, often leading us to apathy when we consider implementing change. You may have heard the familiar definitions of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. Or, NOT doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.
In our world of self-actualization, mind transformation to align with God’s will is not done out of a self-effort, but we must do our part! Renewal of our mind comes through consistent meditation on God’s word. He’s already provided the way! Psalm 119:5 affirms what action we need to take “I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways.”
On our “It’s Your Move” card, we have listed several ideas of how to implement scripture into a regular practice of renewing your mind. Today I’m going to touch on a few that are my personal favorites.
Write out scripture on notecards. When verses I come across, in a sermon or my reading or in a study, I have written them on a notecard and carried them with me in my purse. Every time I would go for my lip balm or my wallet, my hand would run into these cards, reminding me to take a glance at them.
Set reminders on my phone. To memorize Romans 12:1-2 years ago, this was actually my preferred method. I would type in the scripture into my favorite reminders app and set it to remind me every day. Each day, I would spend just a few minute reading through it, meditating on what it meant for me in my life for that day, and then move on. After a few weeks, I had this scripture written on my heart.
Participating in a study. I mentioned last week about our women’s group, and what I love about a group study is that it keeps me accountable to do at least some work so I don’t show up empty handed for conversation. This is not a new practice for me. I have regularly been a part of a Bible-focused small group for the past 9 years and I attribute my depth in Bible-knowledge to this basic level of accountability.
Again, there are many ways to study and meditate on God’s Word. It’s not as important which one or two you decide to try. It’s more that you DO pick one or two ways to deepen your knowledge of God’s word and its impact on your life.
