Renewing our minds

Romans 12:1-2, “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 spiritual act of worship. 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.”

Paul speaks of spiritual renewal “in view of God’s mercy”, the theme of the previous eleven chapters. Our standing before God is entirely due to His initiative mercy. We “offer” or “present” ourselves; the aorist tense indicating once-for-all time, like the commitment of a bride and groom…or like a soldier; our response to God’s mercy is giving up our old life and reporting for duty! We are set-apart for God, at His disposal, to work through us.

Why are we “living sacrifices”? Or perhaps a better question, What is a living sacrifice? R.C. Sproul notes: “There is a New Testament sacrificial system. It is not a sacrifice that we give in order to make an atonement, but a sacrifice that we give because an atonement has been made for us.” We respond with gratitude to the One who gave His all for us, Who provided all we need for this life and for the next. The faith-response is commitment.

What hinders us from doing this? Our priorities; God doesn’t have 1st place in our lives; we haven’t died to self; “my will” is #1; we haven’t committed to living for God.

Paul wants us to “conform” to God. As military personnel, we’re accustomed to conformity. But as followers of God, we are non-conformists. We have a distinctly different worldview & lifestyle.

The Phillips translation renders verse 2: “Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold.” We live in culture; we're affected by it, yet warned in Scripture against it. We live and function in two worlds--the Kingdom of God and the fallen world about us…these are at odds with one another frequently, and we at times have to appraise to what extent we have become “worldly”. We’re so well-adjusted to our culture that we may fit-in too well.

To be “transformed” means to be changed from the inside-out…an indicator of true conversion. Paul uses the same Greek word used to describe Christ’s transfiguration, where we get our word metamorphosis. Not conformed but transformed. Do we have a distinctive spiritual identity, or have we adapted to a secular worldview? We need to be counter-cultural; in the world but not “of” the world.” By God's grace, we can.

What Easter does...

The resurrection does many things...

>First and foremost, the resurrection happened. This historic event was visibly observed by over 500 witnesses, proving that this was not some fable or legend. Even the Jews and Romans knew that Jesus was dead, and also that the tomb was empty on Easter morning. They all knew that it was heavily guarded and blocked with a 2-ton stone sealing Jesus’ body within. They knew Jesus was heavily wrapped in cloths that were soaked with myrrh, enough to suffocate anyone. They had seen the severity of his scourging and execution. And without doubt, they knew Jesus had returned to life. The empty burial clothes were left behind as a testament to His victory over death.

>The resurrection takes away our fear….A father and son were driving along a country road on a warm spring day, when suddenly a bee flew into the car. The boy was deathly allergic to bee stings, and began to panic as the bee buzzed inside the vehicle. The father reached out and caught the bee in his hand, then winced in pain. He opened his hand and showed his son the stinger still in his palm. “Relax, son,” he said. “I took the sting—the bee can’t hurt you anymore.” The empty tomb is God’s way of saying to us, “Relax, My child; I took the sting—death can’t hurt you anymore.”

>The resurrection gives authority to our witness in the world. In every evangelistic sermon in the book of Acts, the early church leaders pointed to the fact that Jesus was risen from the dead. This Easter event gave weight to their message that Jesus was, in fact, the Messiah and Savior of the world.

>The resurrection gives powerful significance to the Lord’s Supper. Without Easter, this meal would be no more than a memorial service. But when we remember Christ’s atoning death, we also recall His resurrection, the death of death. Holy Communion is a victory banquet! The resurrection gives us hope for the future. Without Easter, Communion--and life itself would be meaningless. Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we break bread with our risen Lord, and our eyes are opened, our hope restored.

>The resurrection unites all Christians, even our Eastern Orthodox friends, who observe Easter on a different day. We may worship differently, we may not see eye-to-eye on all issues…but one central belief unites and inspires all Christians. We are united in our celebration that the power of death has been forever conquered through the resurrected Christ.

>The resurrection showcases Jesus’ authority. In Oscar Wilde’s play Salome, King Herod learns about the raising of Lazarus and is enraged. He cries out in protest, “I forbid Jesus to raise the dead. This man must be found and told I don’t allow people to raise the dead.” Herod the tyrant felt threatened; he knew that if somebody is going around raising the dead, then his power has met a greater power.

>The resurrection matters. We may differ on minor doctrines, but this is a critical, essential truth of our faith. Scripture tells us that the payment of sin is eternal death: “the soul that sins will surely die”. We all deserve eternal death…but when we look at the empty cross we have a reminder of God’s promise that we are forgiven.

This key fact of history is something we cannot be neutral about. Everyone knows about Jesus, but not everyone knows Him in His saving power. For that to happen, we have to respond to His love by trusting Him for salvation.

Are all?

• Are all politicians corrupt?
• Are all pro athletes on steroids?
• Are all journalists biased?
• Are all soldiers war-mongers?
• Are all lawyers unethical?
• Are all CEO's pragmatists?
• Are all Christians hypocrites?

When people disgrace their profession, rebuke them, not their profession or what it stands for. Don't dismiss theism because some "professing believers" aren't living their faith.

Daily Devotions

At my monthly clergy roundtable at Gordon-Conwell Seminary, we went around the table sharing what we did in our personal devotional time, what works for us. One of our group made this observation:

"Are we close to God because we have this comforting (devotional) activity or because we love God? We can become selfish in our spirituality. We should have a daily devotional time for God and not for what we get out of it. We need to stay dependent on God, not on our devotional habits."

Taming the Tube

TV consumes a lot of our time. It has been called the “plug-in drug.” I wondered what the Bible might have to say about all the time we spend in front of the tube. I discovered some principles:

-Proverbs 15:14 advises, “A wise man is hungry for truth. The fool feeds on trash.”
-In Psalm 101:3 we read, “I will set no unclean thing before my eyes.”
-And in Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is true, right, pure, lovely, admirable or praiseworthy, think on such things.”

All television is “educational”; it expresses a (sometimes subtle) worldview that may well be quite different from the values we hold. The more we watch, the more we’re influenced. A 4-year old child was told by her mother, “It’s past your bedtime.” Dancing in front of the TV the child called back, “Mom, it’s not bedtime; it’s Miller Time!” Many TV shows push the envelope of decency. What was unthinkable ten years ago is commonplace today. How will things be ten years from now? Not a pleasant consideration.

What should we do to tame the tube? Here are some suggestions...

-Have a family night without TV. Play games, do craft projects, get out the photo album, have a sing-along, tell stories—creative and constructive activities.

-Make a log of what you watch for a week; this will help you decide if TV takes up too much of your life and help you make changes.

-Regulate what you watch. Get a TV guide and circle what you intend to watch, and watch only that. Regulate how much you let TV into your life.

-Watch TV with your kids; don’t use it as a babysitter. Tell your children that they can watch an hour of TV for every hour they spend reading.

-Keep it off during family mealtimes (another good rule is to let your answering machine get the phone during meals).

-Record the programs you want to see and view them when the time is right.

-Watch actively—discuss the shows, ask questions like, “What is this program trying to make me believe?” “What is this show’s viewpoint on sexuality?” “What is the characters’ basis for morality?”

-Turn off the sound during commercials. Lessen their influence and annoyance. Hurray for the mute button!

-Write to stations and sponsors to support good programming and to “vote against” harmful shows.

Consider your home a sanctuary and your TV set a guest. Your home is a refuge, set apart from the onslaught of negative influences of society. If a guest in your home were to tell dirty jokes to your children or use God’s Name in vain, encourage them to drink beer, or describe acts of graphic violence, you’d ask this visitor to stop or leave. Why should TV be any different?

Our need to unwind and be entertained is legitimate, but we have to be careful how we meet that need, by not watching whatever happens to be on. We should make better use of our precious time.

I heard someone complaining recently about having to go to church and I thought, “What a small investment in a person’s week.” I wondered how many hours this person spent watching television every week, compared to the time spent in worship, reading the Bible, and in prayer.

Be in control of your free time, and don’t become a couch potato!

a mild rant...

When I send my sermons out by email, people gain the text of my message.

They lose:
-The verbal and non-verbal energy of the delivery;
-The satisfaction of receiving the Bread and Cup; they've missed an important meal!
-Fellowship, connecting & encouraging--they need ours, we need theirs!
-A structured, intentional focus of dynamic praise to our worthy God (corporate worship).

Which would you prefer: a “love letter” or to spend time with & in the presence of your beloved? “Where two are three are gathered in My Name, I am in their midst.”

LENT>>don't just give up something, do something!

Display a picture of the death of Christ in your home or office space.

Make a list of ten people you’ll pray for daily during Lent.

Memorize Bible verses about Jesus’ sacrifice, recite them when saying family grace.

Make a table-top Easter Egg tree (the egg represents new life) with Christian symbols.

Display a palm cross in your home or on your front door, and/or a banner proclaiming the victory of Christ.

Observe a family Passover Seder or foot-washing in your home; include singing.

Construct a crown of thorns for display and contemplation.

Pin sequins on a thick candle; on one side, a cross, on the other, spell out JOY.

Make (or buy) hot cross buns.

Play a recording of Handel’s Messiah or attend a sacred music concert.

Read a devotional book; give one to a friend.

Participate in a small group Bible study; carry your Bible with you.

Give up something pleasurable during Lent to show repentance for your sins. This is not to gain favor with God but to show we’re under His Lordship and we identify with our Savior’s sufferings.

Wear religious jewelry as an expression of your faith.

Visit an art gallery, taking special note of its sacred art.

Set aside a day for prayer and fasting.