Why Is Our Reasonable Service Treated As Unreasonable?
INTRO: Wouldn't be nice if we had a set of rules we could live by? IF we knew exactly what God expects of us? If we had a group of codes of behavior that we could base our lives on and be happy? This really sounds good doesn't it? "I could live with that," many would say.
[Read]
Ex. 20:1-17 1And God spake all these words, saying, 2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; 6And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. 7Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. 8Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. 13Thou shalt not kill. 14Thou shalt not commit adultery. 15Thou shalt not steal. 16Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour. 17Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
But, what if we could not live up to them? What if we inadvertently left out something? What if our eternal resting place depended on our living a perfect life, never making any mistakes, perfectly thinking the right thoughts, saying the right words, going the right places, doing the right things, etc. Well, that might be a bit different. Christ summed up the commandments for us…
[Read]
Matt. 22:34-40 34But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38This is the first and great commandment. 39And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
Is that what God wants and expects from us? Perfection? Does He expect too much from us? Can we meet "His requirements?" I think we can, if we approach Him through His Son with the right attitude. The Apostle Paul talked about a reasonable service in Romans 12. It is this that I want to deal with today. Let us read…
Rom. 12:1 1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. 3For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. 4For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: 5So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; 7Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; 8Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness. 9Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 10Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 11Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; 12Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; 13Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. 14Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. 15Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. 16Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. 17Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 18If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. 19Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. 20Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. 21Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.
Let us look at what Paul was trying to teach.
We can see…
There IS an acceptable attitude towards God - vs.1-10
It is personal
It is reasonable
It is doable
It is acceptable
Because…
We are transformable (Christ can make a difference)
We are favorable (through Him)
We can be compatible (with His plan and love)
We can be agreeable (with His plan)
Not only is there an acceptable attitude towards God, but…
There is a reasonable service towards God - 1, 4
God does not have unreasonable expectations - aren't you glad! - 3-5
He will help us (grace) - fantastic - 3, 5-9
We cannot accomplish this on our own - 3
His love is life changing
His love will extend from Him through us - 10-21
Now I want to examine…
Why do we treat reasonable as unreasonable?
The obvious for many people, the majority of people…
They know not the Savior
But even for Christians we treat reasonable as unreasonable, because…
We think of ourselves too highly
We make ourselves more important than He
We make ourselves into gods
We make our wants… our goals
We make our decisions… without Him
We make our wants… supreme
We make our pleasure… our necessity
Also…
We do not think soberly enough - what's the rush?
We do not use the gifts He distributes towards us
We let evil overcome us (listen to the bad advice of Satan and the worldly system)
I want you to answer some questions…
Is God… unreasonable?
Is He unreasonable towards you?
Does God care about you?
Was it reasonable for God to give His Son for your salvation?
Now very carefully…
If you do not accept His Son as your personal Savior, is that reasonable?
Let us also consider…
Does He have a reasonable service for me?
Am I, are you, treating our reasonable service as unreasonable?
Are you doing what is right in the sight of God and all those around you?
When we treat our reasonable service as unreasonable, are we treating God as unreasonable?
Gary Marcum - New Beginnings Church - 101302am