SERMON: RESIST THE MOLD

22 April 2012

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

1 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.

2 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.

            -- when I think back on my life, my earliest memories revolve around watermelons -- you see, Daddy worked watermelons up and down the eastern seaboard -- he would head down to south Florida in late spring and begin buying fields of watermelons to ship to the markets up north -- and as the various fields of melons progressively ripened up the seaboard, Daddy would move up with them -- finally ending the season in Virginia as the last watermelons of the year ripened and were shipped

            -- when I was little, we would join him on the road -- at least for a few weeks a year -- as soon as school let out and my mother no longer had to teach, we would head to join Daddy wherever he happened to be at the time
            -- so, I grew up knowing melons -- and, over time, I came to realize just how important and how respected my father was in the watermelon business -- you see, Daddy wasn't just a buyer of melons -- he was also a packer
            -- watermelon packers were held in special regard by farmers and growers and shippers everywhere -- the job of a watermelon packer was to load a semi-truck trailer or a railroad box car with melons -- to stack them in and pack the trailer so that the melons did not shift in transit
            -- have you ever tried to stack watermelons? -- as the people on this season's Amazing Race found out, it's next to impossible to stack round objects without having them crash down around your knees -- that's why watermelon packers were in such high demand and why they got paid a premium for each trailer they loaded -- you could make more money packing one watermelon trailer per day than you could picking watermelons in the field for a week
            -- but, it seems that the days of the watermelon packer are passing because the Japanese have come up with something that allows anyone to be a watermelon packer -- they have invented square watermelons

            -- they did this for a couple of reasons -- first, by producing smaller, square watermelons, it makes it much easier for someone to put the melon in their refrigerator -- and, secondly, it makes it much easier to transport melons -- no longer do they need someone who is specially gifted in packing round melons on trailers -- now anyone can stack a melon because they are square

            -- the Japanese came up with this idea of growing square watermelons by exploiting a well-known principle in nature -- namely, that objects tend to conform to the shape of their environment
            -- that's how we make cakes in different shapes by using different molds -- that's how we can make candles in various configurations -- and while we've really not done that to any great extent with living objects, the Japanese figured out how to do it with watermelons
            -- they made clear glass cubes with hinges on the top and the bottom -- and when the melon is still very small, they put it inside this cube, and as it grows, it conforms to the shape of the box, producing a square watermelon
            -- when the melon gets ripe, they simply open the glass cube and pull out their melons -- easy to stack and ready to be put in the consumer's refrigerators

            -- square watermelons in a round watermelon world -- who would have thought it possible?

            -- the Apostle Paul probably would have believed it -- he didn't know anything about square watermelons, but he knew people -- and he knew the principle of conformity -- the fact that people tend to conform to the environment where they are found -- simply put, people tend to be shaped by the world around them

            -- that's what the Book of Romans is all about -- in this letter to the church at Rome, Paul has been trying to show the Romans how to break free of the mold that this world had put them in by leading them into the Kingdom of God
            -- the basic premise of the book is that the Romans had been born one way, and that's why they looked and acted the way they did -- but now, through the Holy Spirit, they had been born again, so they could develop into the people that God had called them to be

            -- as we look at these verses together this morning, it's important to know that Paul had never been to visit the church at Rome, but he knew about them -- he had heard about their faith -- and he knew of their struggles to form the first blended church -- a church that wasn't just Jews or just Gentiles but a mixture of the two -- two cultures -- two people from different spiritual backgrounds -- coming together to form a new creation -- a new body with Christ as their head

            -- he wrote this letter from Corinth around 57 AD while he was on his third missionary journey to prepare them for his visit -- and for several chapters now, Paul has been teaching theology -- he's been giving them spiritual principles -- but, now Paul shifts gears -- now Paul moves into application and says, this is how you do what I've been telling you -- this is how you change your life -- this is how you break free from the mold of the world

            -- so, let's spend a few moments looking at these verses in a little greater depth as we  try to understand how we can become square watermelons in a round watermelon world

II.  Scripture Lesson (Romans 12:1-2)

            -- look back with me at verse 1

            -- "therefore"

            -- that's the point that I was trying to make -- Paul has been making all these spiritual arguments -- he's been laying out the groundwork of theology and the basics of Christianity to the church for eleven chapters now -- but, he's reached the place where the rubber meets the road -- it's time to put into application the spiritual principles that he had been teaching in this letter

            -- that's the point of discipleship -- it does you no good to come to church or to come to Bible study or to read the Bible on your own if all you are doing is learning about God -- there is little benefit in memorizing scripture or knowing the Bible inside and out if all you've received is knowledge
            -- you have to reach the point where you begin to live it out -- you have to start applying the truths of scripture to your own heart and your own life -- that's what Paul's saying here when he starts off Chapter 12 with that word, "therefore" -- "therefore," it's time to start putting these principles into practice -- it's time to be a disciple of Christ

            -- "therefore, I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy"

            -- the KJV says, "I beseech you brothers" -- other versions say, "I appeal to you"

            -- this is more than Paul just saying, "guys, this is a good idea" -- no, Paul understands that this is the only way to discipleship -- this is the only way to living out the principles that God has called each and every one of us to
            -- Paul says, "this is important -- I urge you -- I beseech you -- I beg you -- do this -- you have to do this if you want to be the person that God called you to be -- if you want to grow in grace -- if you want to be a true disciple of Christ, you have to put this into practice"

            -- don't do this simply because I'm asking you to -- do this in light of God's mercy -- think about what God did for us by sending Jesus to be our atoning sacrifice on the cross -- think about the fact that God didn't give us what we deserved but poured out His wrath and mercy on His only Son

            -- if God did that for us, can't we respond by doing what He has called us to do?

            -- "offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."

            -- the Gentiles and the Jews understood sacrifices -- in both of their cultures, the sacrifice of animals was the basis of their religion -- and when Paul tells them here to offer their bodies as living sacrifices to God, they understood what Paul was calling them to do

            -- you see, anytime a sacrifice was made, something had to die -- and when Paul is calling on the Romans to offer themselves as a living sacrifice, they understand that he is calling them to die -- not to die physically -- Christ already died for us -- but he's calling us to die to this world so that we might live for Christ
            -- when Paul is calling for us to offer our bodies up to God, he's talking about our behavior -- he's talking about making a decision, once and for all, to put to death sin in our lives -- to choose to live our lives for Christ
            -- this is not about going through the motions of Christianity -- this is not about a ritual -- it's not about going to church -- it's about being the church -- it's about living out your faith in your daily life
            -- Paul says that we are to be living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God -- that very word, "holy," means separated -- it means set apart -- it means different from those around us
            -- it means living for God and not for ourselves or for this world -- it means living righteous, obedient lives -- it means living sin-free lives
            -- Paul is calling on us to make a decision on who we want to be and how we want to live -- he is calling us to be a true disciple of Christ

            -- this call to make a stand and live for Christ reminds me of the story of the Alamo -- as you might remember, the Texans in the Alamo were surrounded by the Mexican Army led by General Santa Anna --  they were defending their homes -- they were defending their land

            -- The fighting raged on for days until it was obvious that the 15 men in the Alamo could not hold the Mexicans off any longer -- They knew the wall would be breached -- and they knew that if that happened, they would be killed
            --  So, Colonel Travis took his sword and drew a line on the ground, and he issued a call -- he said everyone who is willing to fight for Texas, come and stand with me behind this line, knowing that it may cost you your very life -- the rest could leave and surrender to the Mexicans and save their lives -- there was a moment of silence as each man pondered the decision in their hearts -- and then, as one, every single man took a step and crossed that line and made their choice -- they chose to do what was right, despite the personal cost -- they chose to stand up for what they believed in, despite the fact it could cost them their life -- and, in the end, every Texan in the Alamo that day was killed
            -- that's exactly what Paul is trying to get us to do here -- He's trying to get us to draw a line in the sand and say, "I don't care what happens to me -- from this point on, I am going to live for Christ -- I am going to make Him the most important thing in my life -- I am going to die to self and live for Him"
       
                 -- verse 2a

                 -- "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world"

                 -- a few moments ago, we talked about the principle of conformity -- from the moment that we are born, our lives begin to conform to the pattern of this world -- it's like we are poured into a mold, and our bodies begin to take the shape of this mold -- not physically -- but behaviorally

                 -- and because of this, we act like this world -- we talk like this world -- we long after the things of this world -- our thoughts and hopes and dreams and desires are shaped by this world
                 -- what does Paul mean here when he talks about the world? -- to paraphrase Richard Trench, the world is "all of that floating mass of thought, opinions, maxims, speculations, hopes, impulses, aims, and aspirations" that swirl around us -- these worldly ideas are powerful -- they can grip our hearts -- they can shape who we are and what we want and what we do
                 -- if you want to get an idea of what Paul means by the world, just look at the advertisements that surround us every day -- these advertisements are designed to catch our attention -- to sway us and get us to purchase their products by appealing to our desires and our wants and our wishes
                 -- this is the world -- and if you live in this world, you will be shaped by the power of the world -- you will be conformed to its mold and your life will resemble the lives of all those around you
                 -- but, remember that Paul said we were to be different -- we were to be holy -- set apart -- separated from the world -- how do we do that? -- how do we break free from the world's grip? -- how do we resist the world's mold?

                 -- look back at verse 2b

                 -- be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

                 -- it all starts with your mind -- as we read in James 1:14, sin begins when we are tempted by the evil desires of our minds

                 -- if we are going to break free of the world's grip and no longer be conformed to the pattern of the world, we have to change our mind
                 -- that's what we tell our disciples -- it's not about outward behavior -- it's not about trying to live out the Christian life through a series of laws and rules -- it's about your beliefs, first and foremost -- Paul knew that -- that's why he writes as he does here

                 -- as Alan McCann put it, "Paul understood that in the spiritual life of every believer the battle for control of the mind would ultimately lead to either victory or defeat in daily living. -- what you believe ultimately decides how you live"

                 -- if you believe that success is based upon wealth and possessions, then you will spend your whole life trying to gain both -- if you believe that success is based upon eternal treasure, then you will spend your life living for Christ -- "what you think dictates how you live"

            -- one night at a campfire, an old native American was teaching the younger generation about the inner struggles that he had dealt with in his life -- he told them that inside of him were two dogs -- one of the dogs was mean and evil -- the other dog was good -- and they fought constantly for control of his life

            -- when the young men around the campfire asked him which dog wins, the old man paused a moment and said, “the one I feed the most”

                 -- Paul says here that if we are to truly be a disciple of Christ, we have to be transformed by the renewing of our minds -- we need a new mind -- we need a new belief system on which to base our lives

                 -- so, how do that? -- how do we renew our minds?

                 -- "Psychologists tell us there are two simple rules to do with the mind:

The Law of Concentration and the Law of Substitution.

            -- "In the Law of Concentration they tell us that whatever we dwell on grows in our life experience and becomes part of us.

            -- "In the Law of Substitution they tell us that our conscious mind can only hold one thought at a time and you can substitute a positive thought for a negative thought and vice versa."

[Alan McCann -- http://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/in-my-right-mind-alan-mccann-sermon-on-call-of-the-disciples-83359.asp?page=0]

                 -- the renewing of our mind begins when we choose to die to the thoughts and desires of this world and begin to believe in the truth of God's word

            -- we do that by applying both of these rules -- the Law of Concentration and the Law of Substitution
            -- first, we concentrate on the things of God -- we focus on God's word and let it become a part of us -- we follow the commands of God that we read of in Deuteronomy 11:18-21

-- ¹⁸ Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
¹⁹ Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
²⁰ Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates,
²¹ so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

            -- to break free of the mold of this world and to be transformed into new creations, we begin by focusing on the word of God -- by letting it become a part of us

            -- this means not only reading the Bible and studying God's word, but applying it in our lives as we offer up our bodies as living sacrifices

            -- secondly, we apply the Law of Substitution -- in 2 Corinthians 10:5, it says that we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ

            -- this means that when negative thoughts enter our heads -- when evil desires tempt us -- we take them captive through the power of Christ -- we don't dwell on them, but we put them out of our mind and focus on the things of God

            -- in Philippians 4:8, Paul gave us this advice, "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things."

            -- when the world starts putting ungodly thoughts in your mind -- when you find yourself starting to think like the world again and letting negative thoughts in -- ask Jesus to take them from you and focus your mind on what is true and noble and right and pure and lovely and admirable -- focus on the word of God and on the things of God and the negative thoughts and beliefs will go away

            -- look back at the end of verse 2b

Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will.

            -- there's a great spiritual truth here -- the natural man -- the man of the world -- cannot understand spiritual things -- they cannot perceive them -- they cannot believe them -- they cannot live by them

            -- it is only the person who has been touched by Christ -- who has been saved through God's grace and mercy and whose mind has been transformed and renewed -- who can understand spiritual things

            -- it is only after we have allowed the Spirit to renew our minds that we can begin grasping and understanding the will of God for us as Christians and as His church

            -- it is only after we stop believing the lies of the world and starting living on the truth of God's word that we will truly see how good and pleasing and perfect God's will and His plans are for our lives

III.  Closing

            -- In Yorkshire, England, during the early 1800s, two sons were born to a family named Taylor.

            -- The older son listened to the siren call of the world and set out to make a name for himself by entering Parliament and gaining public prestige. -- he was successful in his endeavors and well-known throughout England in his day
            -- But the younger son chose a different path -- he drew a line in the sand and said, "I will not follow this world."  -- instead, he chose to give his life to Christ.
            -- He later recalled, “Well do I remember, as in unreserved consecration I put myself, my life, my friends, my all, upon the altar. I felt I was in the presence of God, entering into covenant with the Almighty.”
            -- With that commitment, Hudson Taylor turned his face toward China and obscurity.
            -- As a result of his choice to shun the ways of the world and to offer his life as a living sacrifice to God, Hudson Taylor is known and honored on every continent as a faithful missionary and the founder of the China Inland Mission (now known as Overseas Missionary Fellowship).

            -- For the other son who chose the way of the world, however, there is no lasting monument. When you look in the encyclopedia to see what the other son has done, you find these words, “the brother of Hudson Taylor.”

            -- in these verses, God is calling us to make a stand for Him in this world -- He is calling us to put to the death the way of this world -- to put to death all that we are and all that the world says is important so that we might reap eternal treasures

            -- people who live only for this life will never achieve lasting success -- their accomplishments will follow them to the grave and will never bear eternal fruit
            -- but those who choose to die to self -- to offer themselves to God as a living sacrifice and let Him renew their mind and transform their lives -- will reap a harvest of good works that will never end
            -- as we close in prayer, I want to encourage you to choose the path of the true disciple -- choose to live for God -- make a stand -- be His disciple

            -- let us pray