Rev. David Holwick
April 30, 1989

                     
                       THE WILL AND GIFTS OF GOD         Romans 12:1-8
                     

  I. Our motivation as Christians - the mercies of God.
      A. Mercy is key to book of Romans.
      B. God's love, and our response to it.

 II. Best response:  Our bodies as living sacrifices.
      A. Meaning of life as a sacrifice.
          1) Emphasis on "living"?
              a) Preacher - Living sacrifices have a tendency to crawl off
                    the altar.
              b) Problem - "living" goes with "holy" and "acceptable."
                  1> Has to do with the new life Jesus gives.
                  2> "Living" in deep religious sense.
          2) Holy, acceptable (or, pleasing).
              a) Does our life please God?
                  1> Body:  Our physical lives must be devoted to God.
              b) Do we live any differently than non-believers?

      B. Reasonable service.
          1) Reasonable means we understand the truth of God revealed in
               Jesus.
              a) Not blind dedication, fanaticism.
              b) More than intellectual alone - "spiritual."
          2) Service means "act of worshiping."
              a) Our lives must be consistent, or any religious actions we
                   do are unacceptable to God.

III. Conform to world or be transformed by God.
      A. Poured into world's mold, or God's.

      B. Transformed is same as "transfigured" as applied to Jesus.
          1) Are we really changing?

 IV. Prove God's will.
      A. God's will is good, acceptable, perfect.
          1) Not different degrees.

      B. It is clear to us when we are living for God.
          1) Not special tests.

  V. Application to my life.
      A. My life as devoted to God's ministry.
          1) God has used us in West Lafayette.
              a) We have been well-treated here.
          2) We have accepted a call to the First Baptist, Ledgewood, NJ.
              a) Small size (90).
              b) Same pay.

      B. God's will to leave?
          1) (Pauline) - last pastor to say it was God's will walked into
               a pit of vipers.
              a) Could be mistake, but we feel God's leading.
          2) Two reasons:
              a) Can't take West Lafayette farther.
              b) Can bring out potential in Ledgewood Baptist, as we have
                   done here.

 VI. Reaction of church. 
      A. Common response - things will go downhill.
          1) (Pastor's love to hear that.  Means we are indispensable)
          2) But against teaching of Bible.

      B. God's gifts are distributed throughout church.
          1) No one person has them all.
          2) Many members, many function; one body, all belong.
              a) Isolated Christian cannot be complete.
              b) Fellowship with other believers is needed.

VII. God's gifts in the church.
      A. Adequate assessment of self is needed.
          1) My assessment of my strengths as a pastor.
              a) Church has been built up.
              b) People have grown in faith.
          2) Reasons for leaving.
              a) My gifts are at limit.
                  1> New people not getting the attention they need.
                  2> Established Christians need more of a challenge.
              b) Could stay many years in West Lafayette and be welcome.
                  1> But would soon be stagnant.
                  2> West Lafayette deserves better.
              c) New pastor needed to go farther.

      B. Different gifts are given to different people.
          1) Ones listed are not flamboyant.
              a) Most have to do with the ministry.
          2) Use according to faith.
              a) Not how much faith we have, compared to others.
              b) The Christian faith as a standard to measure ourselves by.
          3) Use to build up church.
              a) Whatever you can do, give it your best effort.  

 VIII. Different gifts, but one Lord.
      A. We leave West Lafayette feeling God has used us here.
          1) No bad feelings.
          2) Want to spend next two months building up church, help
               find new pastor.

      B. You are our friends, and we look forward to fellowshiping with
           you in the years to come.


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                "THE BENEFITS OF BELIEVING"              Romans 12:1-9

      Johnson
  I. A Christian lifestyle requires a solid theological foundation. 
      A. It is based on the mercy of God.   12:1
      B. It represents a constant tension. (p 72)
 II. Meaning of phrases:
      A. Present yourself as a sacrifice.
          1) Animal is "holy" (=wholly) God's.
              a) It was killed.
              b) It was burned.
              c) The priest got no portion.
          2) The act of worship was acceptable to God.   (Eph 5:2)
      B. Body.
          1) Identification:
              a) Personalities
              b) Self
              c) Physical body with all its functions.  J*
          2) Serve God with body, not in otherworldly vision.
      C. Spiritual service of worship.
          1) Service - serve God by sacrifice.
              a) Worship & service both included in idea.
              b) Every believer is a priest.
          2) Spiritual.
              a) Reasonable, rational.
              b) Something that is true, not just material.  J*
                  1> Present body as an act of true, Spirit-directed
                       service to God.
      D. Present body.
          1) Aorist - decisive, accomplished event.
          2) All future steps must be in line with it.
              a) Not enough to "do Christian things."
              b) Isaac Watts - [hymn].
      E. World.            12:2
          1) Equivalent to "age."  World system that is passing away.
      F. Conformed.
          1) Means to be poured into a mold.
          2) Alternative:  be transformed.
              a) Same word as transfiguration of Jesus.
              b) Not merely imitation but changing of believers into
                   likeness of Christ.
              c) Mind must be transformed.
                  1> Greeks saw mind as ultimate.
      G. Prove God's will.
          1) Test and approve.
              a) Not whether it is good or bad.
              b) God's will can be recognized and done in every human
                   situation.  (Eph 5:9-10)
      H. [More, but not done...]


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