May it please the Lord to bless
us together this evening as we consider his word. Let's turn
to the epistle of Paul to the Romans chapter 12 and we'll read
the first verse. The epistle of Paul to the Romans
chapter 12 and reading the first verse. I 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." As we are able to read the Word
of God, it will be good if we recognize
that God has written his word for the eternal good of the Church
of God and the many words which the word of God contains are
therefore divine purpose and it will be a great blessing if
as we read God's word we recognize it is the very true word of God. And therefore, as we think of
that and consider how great God is, how amazing God is, we think of all that he's done,
all that he's created, to realise how powerful he is, how mighty
he is, and then to think that this God has given us the Word
of God to read, to be instructed by it. And the instruction in
the Word of God is to direct us to those things which are
right, to follow those things which are good, and those things
which are wrong to turn away from. Therefore we have in the
Word of God an infallible guide And it is indeed, as it were,
a guide for our life. And we can find in the Word of
God everything that you and I need to direct us through our life. Therefore, as we read God's Word,
when we read it as though it is an instruction book for us,
and it is instructing us, and it is directing us, and it is
giving us much help and encouragement, giving us much correction as
we travel on through our little life on this earth. So, how important
it is that when we read the Word of God, we do read it very carefully
and prayerfully, and recognize that the Word of God is there
for divine purpose to speak to our hearts. So, if we come tonight
to think of what the Apostle here wrote to the Church of Rome. The previous chapter, chapter
11, he'd spoken about the restoration of Israel. He'd spoken about
how they would be grafted in. He comes down to the end of this
chapter and it is as though he stands back. He stands back and
looks at the vast panorama before him. And he says, all the depth
of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God, how unsearchable
are his judgments and his ways past finding out. What a statement
that is, to show the greatness of God. And then he says, for
who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor,
Who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed unto
him again. For of him, and through him,
and to him are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen." Well, that's a wonderful
statement that the Apostle brings before us at the end of that
11th chapter. And then it follows on with these
words. I beseech you therefore. As we
think of that, it's quite clear the Apostle's urgency and concern
was. He says, I beseech you. It's
as though he can't really use a greater word of encouragement
to these Romans and of course to the Church of God. I beseech
you therefore. His concern was, look, I've just
explained to you these things, the greatness of the things of
God, and of course you can go back and you can read glorious
truth in the earlier chapters in this book of Romans. And now
he says, I beseech you, brethren. Oh, he's so concerned for the
people he's addressing. I beseech you. Therefore, and
this is of course the word therefore, must refer to that which has
gone before. I beseech you, he's really concerned. He doesn't want to just write
words and they go over people's heads. He doesn't want to say
things which are ignored. He wants people to realise the
things that he's addressing them about are of great and vital
importance and they are to be taken notice of. And therefore
he says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, brethren. Yes, those who are like-minded,
brethren. How often he addresses the people
as brethren. What a good thing it is if we
today also address one another like that. Brethren, brothers
and sisters in Christ. I beseech you therefore, brethren,
by the mercies of God, And it is by the mercies of God that
you and I are here tonight. We could be in a desert land. We could be in the waste-hounding
wilderness. We could be in a place where
God has never been heard of or spoken about. But our blessing tonight is by
the mercies of God. Ponder that. The mercies of God
that every one of us here tonight are here. It's by His mercy toward
us. It's by His great goodness. Don't
forget the enormous privilege which is ours. To think that here you and I
able to come and read together God's holy word, and to hear
the word of God preached. What mercy! Think of our own
nation tonight. Think of the millions pursuing
their own lives. No thought of God. Content with
just following The things of this vain world, which quickly
rushes away and passes away. No concern about the eternal
destiny of their soul. No consideration whether they
have a soul. They turn away from the truth
of God. And so here tonight, what an
amazing blessing it is. I beseech you therefore brethren,
by the mercies of God." It is the mercies of God. And then
the apostle comes and says to them, that ye present your bodies,
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. Now you might think, well why
is that? Well, the Lord Jesus Christ gave his life as a sacrifice that we might
possess life. We who were far off, we who were walking contrary
to the Lord, walking perhaps in the opposite direction. The Lord Jesus Christ willingly
came and gave himself a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, we have
the picture, don't we, of continual sacrifices. We have the picture
of a need for those sacrifices and the offerer They brought
the sacrifice of the priests, and the priests made the offering. The Church of God today are priests. We are not to offer animal sacrifices. We are to offer ourselves. In the Old Testament, It was
very important, those sacrifices were offered. It's no less important for us
today to realize that we, as priests of the Most High God,
are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice. Don't forget, we have
the wonderful picture of the Lord Jesus Christ who offered
himself willingly as a complete sacrifice. He took upon himself our form,
our human form, and was willing therefore to offer up himself
in order to atone for our sins. all our sins, every sin, the
sins we've committed throughout our lives, this year, this month, this week,
this day, this hour, perhaps the last minutes, the sins that
we've committed, perhaps they're vile sins, perhaps they're terrible
sins, and yet to realise the Saviour
atoned for them. No sin, too bad, too black, that
could not be atoned for, because the blood of Christ was of infinite
value. It was so valuable, it was sufficient
to pay the price for the sins, every sin, of the whole Church
of God. What an amazing consideration
that is, isn't it? To think that through the death
of the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, the sins of all His Church
were forever taken away. They were washed away in the
precious blood of the Lamb. And the Lord Jesus Christ, He
offered Himself as a living sacrifice willingly. That, my friends, is our example. What a blessing it is, if you
and I have that before us, in our lives, every day. And now the Apostle
comes and says, that ye present your bodies,
a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable
service. Do you agree with that? Do you concur that what the Apostle
says is right? That it is very reasonable? It's
not unreasonable at all, is it? It's very reasonable, isn't it?
And surely, if the Spirit of God has come and touched our
hearts. And by that I mean this, the Spirit of God has come and
directed us to realise our sinfulness before our Holy God. Our need
we have of a saviour and to realise that we are condemned and that
we are undone, as the hymn writer says, lost and ruined in the
fall. No hope for us in and of ourselves. We are condemned by our own sin. The death penalty is upon us. We cannot pay the price. Because
we are unholy. Because we are unjust in and
of ourselves. But to consider Him. Oh, what a word the Apostle has,
doesn't he, when he writes to the Hebrews. Consider Him. That will make the difference. That will move our spirits. as
the Holy Spirit applies the word, as we consider Him, to think
what He has done in order that we might receive forgiveness. In order that we might stand
in that position and hear those words spoken, there is therefore,
there is therefore now, no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. Oh, what a blessing it is. who
walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. It is a statement,
isn't it? You and I are not to be found
walking after the flesh. What that means is this. We are
not to be found pleasing our flesh. Oh, you know how subtle
the devil is, isn't he? He makes us willing that we are
not willing to turn away from that position, to not walk after
the flesh, but after the spirit. So often we walk after the flesh,
don't we? We're not prepared to come here
and to present our bodies a living sacrifice. And yet, you see,
we want to be part of the other. We want to know that there's
no condemnation toward us. We want to know that the Saviour
has died upon that cross, who suffered so greatly for us. And yet, as we're faced with
this situation here, are we walking after the flesh, or are we walking
after the Spirit? Now this word here is, by the
Spirit of God, to the Church of God, to the blessed Church
of God. And I believe this should not
be something which is difficult, or it may appear so on the face
of it. Put it this way, the love of Christ constrains
us That's really the moving influence,
isn't it? We can stand before God's holy
law and be cut down by it. And it's good that that is so,
that we find ourselves guilty. But the moving factor in our
hearts is the love of Christ. The love of Christ constrains
us That's what moves us. So may we really be concerned. We may know a little love of
Christ. And I tell you friends, a little
love will move you. A little. A little love. Because it will come like this. Has the Lord really loved such
an undeserving wretch as me, that he has touched my heart
with a little love. Now what's the effect? Well the effect is this, John rather tells us, we love him because He first
loved us. And so if we have a little evidence
of the love of the Saviour toward us, would it not be like this? The
love of Christ constrains us. Constrains, that means it moves
us. And so then we recognise a word
like this that we may have looked at and we may have thought, oh
that's impossible. I could never do that. I can never present
my body a living sacrifice. But as the Spirit of God may
direct our hearts to view the sacrifice that the Saviour has
made for us, who are utterly unworthy, then surely our response
should be a willing response. Not a response that comes out
of bondage, but a response that comes out as a reaction in love
to the Lord. We love Him because He first loved
us. Or then to be, really it's like
this, to be made willing in a day of His power. And my friends,
that day of power is when you and I receive a little touch
from the Saviour, a little movement in our heart that the Blessed
Lord has remembered us in our lost estate. He's gone to us. Perhaps our
prayer has been like that dying thief Lord, remember me. Remember me. Because true religion
is personal. And you will want to have a connection
between your heart and God. And my friend, that connection
comes through His love towards you. And that love dissolves
barriers. That love breaks down opposition. It is a love which is all-powerful. And, this is a blessing, it's
something that you and I cannot resist. cannot resist. Christ's love
is irresistible. By the mercies of God that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice. A living sacrifice
is real. It's not dead. Those animals
that were sacrificed in Old Testament times, they were slain. We today
are to offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, which is holy and
acceptable unto God. Surely our concern is that we
do that which is acceptable unto God, wholly acceptable unto God. It's not as a man. We're not
pleasing man. We're not following man. We're
doing that which the Lord sets before us as a reasonable service,
as a reasonable response to the reaction of receiving His amazing
love and goodness into our heart. Present your bodies. Well, my
friends, tonight, as we stand before a holy God, you see, we
little view, we little realise, I believe sometimes, how holy
righteous and almighty God is, because this God is not to be
trifled with. We are blessed to have the Word
of God to read, and that Word of God is that
book of direction for us. Today, as it always has been,
is the Church of God. And I'm sure, perhaps we've many
times said, we're thankful for the Bible, that we have it to
read. And if that is true, and if that
emanates from our heart, it won't be just to read in a theoretical
way the Word of God, it will be because God's Word speaks
to our heart about the condition of our soul, about our life here
amidst all its temptations and trials and troubles. It also
tells us that by the grace of God the victory of His Church
is assured. And it also instructs us to look
forward to that glorious and blessed hope which is before
the Church of God that when their course on this earth has finished
It would be to go and to be with Christ, which is far better. You see, that's what we have
the Word of God for, to direct us in these things. And that's
a great and glorious seed, is it not? But there's also the
other side, and that side is to be one who reads, and takes in and desires to obey
and to follow the gracious words which are recorded in the Word
of God. And here we have tonight some
of those words. We read this chapter together
and of course there are many words of instruction in this
chapter which tells us those things that we are to do as God
gives us various gifts. We don't all have the same gifts.
The Lord gives us different gifts and we are to use those gifts.
You may think, well I've only got one talent. You're not to
bury it in the ground. You're to use it. If God's given
you more than one talent, you're to trade with those talents.
There may be more talents brought forth the honour and glory of
God. The Lord calls his people in
this dark world to be as light shining, even in this age of
2013. The Lord's people are the light
in this dark world, and they are to be sought also. And if
we are to be that, and God has called us to that, it is then
our blessed privilege to observe God's Word and God's instruction
for us. And so, here we have this Word
tonight. I beseech you. Oh, says the Apostle,
I beseech you that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice,
holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. How do we react tonight to such
a word as that? We say, yes, I desire to follow
that way. I recognise what my Saviour has
done for me. I recognise what an amazing privilege
it is that Almighty God has had mercy
upon me and he has done for me which
I shall never be able to repay I who was so far off and yet the Lord came he came to me just like he did
when he came to Jacob he found him in a waste-hounding wilderness. He led him about. He instructed
him. He kept him as the apple of his
eye. What a blessing that is, for unworthy sinners, hell-deserving
sinners, to have such a God, whose looks have failed us. Wandering in this poor old world,
this world which will soon perish will be burnt up, will vanish
away, everything in it disappear. And yet, the promises of God
will remain forever. And the promises like this, yea,
I have loved thee with everlasting love, therefore with loving-kindness
have I drawn thee, and I believe, you see, it's when we have a
little touch of that love of Christ, that's what draws us
unto Himself. It's an amazing thing that such
a black, hell-deserving sinner is drawn out of themselves to
the Saviour. I believe then, By God's grace
we understand something of what Solomon said in the Song of Solomon. Draw me, and the result, I will
run after thee. Run after thee. You know, John
Bunyan, he wrote a book called the Heavenly Footman. And in
that, he uses this phrase, Run man, run! Surely, that is a word, isn't
it? The devil makes us stand still. And yet, you see, if we know
something about drawing power of the love of Christ. Draw me, I will run after Thee. So, the Apostle says, I beseech
Thee. Oh, there was an ardency, wasn't
there, in his concern. He wanted the Romans to Listen
to what he was saying. He wanted them to hear his words. He told them something of the
greatness of the Lord. Now he's coming and saying, these
words all present your bodies a living sacrifice. Are we prepared,
are we willing tonight to give ourselves unto the Lord? Once we think of what He's given
to us, what's He given? The gift of eternal life. What value isn't it? What value
isn't it? Try and think of that. Try and
think how valuable it is. You won't be able to work it
out. The gift of eternal life, because it has a value which
is eternal, which you and I are not able to evaluate. And God gives His gift of eternal
life. What an amazing truth that is. And He gives that gift. He's
able to give that gift because He has satisfied the law of God. That law of God which so condemns
us. makes us so guilty, makes us
realise how unworthy we are of any favour from the Lord, and
then to think of what God has done. He's come and called us,
a hell-deserving sinner, from the darkness of nature into the
glorious light of the everlasting gospel. And my friends, it is
a glorious light. When the sun shines into our
heart, what it is, is this. It's the sun of righteousness,
who rises with healing in his wings. It's the Lord Jesus Christ,
as he shines his light into our hearts. Then the darkness, which
we were in, fades away. And it's a heavenly light, And
it's a light which will never go out. And it will never go
out because the Lord Jesus says, I am the light of the world. And my friends, it's that light
which we're able to walk by as he blesses us with his wondrous
grace. I beseech you, therefore, that
ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy acceptable unto
God which is your reasonable service now my friends tonight
the Lord is not asking for anything that is unreasonable is he? you answer that question is it
a reasonable request or is it an unreasonable request? well I'm sure And if your heart
has been touched by Christ's love, you will confess that this
is a reasonable service. And your response will be as Solomon said, draw
me, I will run after thee. The result will be this. We would
have been made willing in the day of His power. And my friends,
power belongs to God. It doesn't belong to you, it
doesn't belong to me. But blessed be God, it belongs
to Him. And when that power of the Holy Spirit comes upon us,
it moves our heart, it moves our rebellious heart. And indeed
it does make us willing in the day of His power. May it truly
be, therefore, as we view the Saviour, the love of Christ constraining
us. It won't be under any other way. It won't be, as it were, we're
under the whip or condemnation, or be that drawing love of the
Saviour. The love of Christ constrains
us. May we each know it. May we bless
God for it. May we rejoice in it. And may
we go along and agree with and confirm and walk out this word
that the Apostle brings to the Romans and the word of God brings
to us tonight. I 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.