Transformed: Rom 12:3-8

Rom 12:3-8
1. Be humble. v3. Do not think more highly of yourself than you ought.
2. Be honest. v3. Think of yourself with sober judgement. Assess yourself in view of your God-given faith. Realize that all our strength is from God.
3. We need each other. v4-5. We are all part of one body. 1 Cor
4. Use your gift. v6-8. 1 Pet 4:10. Prophesy, serving, teaching, encourage, giving, leadership, mercy. Jump in and use your gift. Be aware: The place where Satan will attack you the most is the area where God had gifted you.

Transformed: Grow closer to God

Rom 12:2 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.
We are either being conformed or transformed.
Thoughts>beliefs>actions>outcomes.
The mind's meditation determines the heart's motivation. Prov 4:23 The more you focus on something, the more it becomes what you believe.
Stop conforming to the world. 1 Jn 5:19. Be in the world, but not of the world.

-Why do our minds even need to be renewed? They are sinful and selfish.
-How do we renew our minds?
1. Get saved. 2 Cor 3:18
2. Slow down. Be still and know that he is God. Ps 46:10
3. Dig into God's Word. Read it, Study it. 2 Tim 2:15; Mt 6:33
4. Pay attention. Become increasingly aware of who or what you allow into your lives.  Prov 13:20. Consciously change your habits.
5. Go. Put your faith in action.

Don't get discouraged or set unrealistic expectations. However, God is a God of miracles!

As you are transformed, you will know God's good, pleasing, and perfect will.

Transformed: Worship

Rom 12:1
Many Christians have fallen in love with Savior Jesus, but not as much with Lord Jesus.
We are called to a life of worship. v1
1. The meaning of worship. Worship - the adoration of a deity. Mt 4:10 "Worship the Lord your God and serve him only." Worship: A heart that is intentionally focused on God, which then naturally overflows into every area of our lives for the sake of Christ. "I urge you" is a phrase that is used to talk with soldiers that are about to go into battle.
2. The motivation of worship. Think about all that Jesus did for us. "The cup" that he wanted to avoid wasn't the physical part of going to the cross, it was the wrath of God. God hates evil because it separates us from him.
3. The manner of worship. v1 "Offer your bodies as a living sacrifice to God." Give your everyday life to God as an offering. Trust him that he had the perfect plan for my life. Jn 3:30 He must become greater and I must become less. Mt 5:16 Let your light shine.

UNDONE by a question

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8
How do we get to the point of saying, "send me"? - go through the process that Isaiah did.
1. Be aware of our complacency. Isa 6:1
2. Spend some time with God. Isa 6:2-4 Be in awe of God's Holiness.
3. Be honest about our sinfulness. Isa 6:5
4. A fresh understanding of God's grace. Isa 6:7 Every sin is forgiven through God's grace. We are made clean through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
The only logical response to all of this is, "Here am I, send me!"
This decision to be sent by God is not a one time decision, it is a decision we need to make daily. Gal 5:16-17, 24; Lk 9:23; Gal 2:20
This is not easy. Isa 6:9-13.
This is not a search for information, but an amazing invitation to you and I from God. Acts 17:25
2 reasons we don't answer the call:
1. Selfishness and self centeredness.
2. Fear.

UNDONE by Grace

Isa 6:1-8
1. Your sin is atoned for. v6-7. Atoned - the work that Christ did in life and death to earn our salvation. Isa 53:4-6, Rom 3:21-26 there is a righteousness apart from the law, God loves us, He is just, He wants to save us from our sin. Jesus was the sacrifice of atonement for us. 1 Jn 4:9-10, 2 Cor 5:21, Col 2:13-14. We are dead in our sins, spiritually bankrupt. Jesus paid the price for our sin, and wiped our record clean.
2. Our guilt was taken away. v7 There's good guilt (from God) and bad guilt (worldly). 2 Cor 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance. False guilt is from Satan. 1 Pet 5:8. Rom 8:1 no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus. God is always ready and willing to extend forgiveness for our sin.

Tibor Miklos

God + disable = God is able!

We are in a comfort zone, we leave the comfort zone, we are in a tunnel, we come out of the tunnel and arrive someplace new, and then we are in a comfort zone again.

What if we are stuck in a tunnel for the rest of our lives (disease, blindness, etc)? Isa 50:10-11, Rom 11:29. Phil 4:11 - learn to be content. Phil 4:6 God is close to us. 1 Jn 4:9.

Pray for Tibor, he wants to be healed, but knows God had called him to be blind and to use his disability for His Kingdom.

UNDONE by my sin

Isa 6:1-8
v5 "Woe" We need to come to the point of being undone and broken before God.
We need to see our own sinfulness, and then realize that the Holy, holy, holy, God still loves us.
Sin - a failure to conform to God's Word, in action, lack of action, attitudes, by nature. To miss God's mark. Choice to do wrong, choice to leave good undone.
Consequences - spiritual death Rom 6:23, Eph 4:30 we can grieve the Holy Spirit, Prov 3:11-12 sin strains our relationship with God.
Origin of sin - Gen 2:16-17, 3:6-7, Ps 58:3. We were all born with a sinful nature. No one had to teach us how to sin.
Personal sin - Rom 7:18
Repentance - a heartfelt sorrow for sin, a renouncing of it,  and a sincere commitment to forsake our sin and walk in obedience.
Oh God forgive us!