Just a few weeks ago I preached a sermon from Romans
chapter 11. Most of you will remember that
concerning this Jewish nation. So I'm not going to repeat that
message again. Last weekend we were in Romans
10. I'm skipping chapter 11 because I just preached on it not long
ago. And Brother Trabant will include that sermon in this tape
series. We've already talked about that,
and he's going to include it in this series of messages. But
today's text is Romans 12. And this morning, The Mercies
of God. That's the title. And tonight,
Ten Commandments for the Believers. All right,
verse 1, Paul says, I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present your bodies, your faculties,
your members, your selves, a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service. What does the word beseech
mean? I beseech you. Paul says, I appeal
to you. I call upon you. I appeal to
you and I call upon you by the mercies of God to you. And this
is every believer's motive for anything that he does, anything
we call upon people to do. Our motive is the mercies of
God to us. That's the motive for all that
we do and all that we give and every way that we serve. We do
it because of his mercy to us. Our Lord Jesus said in Luke 6,
be ye merciful as your Father in heaven is merciful to you.
That's the basis, that's the motive for showing mercy because
we receive mercy. He also said, how shall God forgive
your sins if you don't forgive others? And then Paul wrote in
Ephesians 4, Forgive one another even as God for Christ's sake
has forgiven you. Now this is the motive. So Paul
says, I call on you, I appeal to you by the mercies of God
to you that you do certain things. And this is the only scriptural
motive for all that we're commanded to do because of his grace unto
us. I want to show you two scriptures.
The first one is 1 Corinthians chapter 15. The Apostle Paul
says in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 10, 1 Corinthians 15 verse 10,
By the grace of God I am what I am. And you can add to that, I have
what I have, I know what I know by the grace of God. I am what
I am, I have what I have, I know what I know. And my destination
is what it is by the grace of God, my hope. And his grace,
which was bestowed upon me, was not in vain. But I labored more
abundantly than they all." Now, he's not boasting here, he's
declaring something is true. I labored more abundantly than
any of my companions. Yet not I. It wasn't I at all. It's the grace of God which was
with me. So I appeal to you, and I call upon you. Do what
you do because of the grace of God in you and to you and the
mercy of God for you. That's the foundation. Another
scripture, 2 Corinthians 5. This is Paul again, the servant
of the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 14. For the love of Christ constraineth
me, the love of Christ for me and in me is the motive for all
that I do. The love of Christ constrains
me. I'm not constrained by a fear of hell. I'm not motivated in
exchange for rewards, nor because it's my duty. I have the sweetest,
strongest, constrained love. He loved me and I love him. That's
what he's saying here. The love of Christ, the love
of Christ for me, the love of Christ shed abroad in my heart
the love which I have for Christ, that's what constrains me. Because
we thus judge, if one died for all, then we're all dead, and
that he died for all that we should live, that they which
live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him
which died for them, and rose again. That's our motive. I beseech
you, brethren, I appeal to you, I call upon you on the basis
of one thing, the mercy of God to you, the love of God to you,
the grace of God in you. All right, read on. I call upon
you and appeal to you that you present your bodies, the amplified
version says that you present all your members and all your
faculties, body and soul, to God. You present yourselves a
living sacrifice. Why is it called a living sacrifice? Well, the Old Testament priests
brought sacrifices to God. They were priests who ministered
before the Lord. And they brought sacrifices.
What kind of sacrifice did they bring? They brought a lamb slain. They brought a dead lamb. which
always pictured our Lord's sacrifice for sinners, the shedding of
his blood for his people. Well, we're priests of God. The
scripture says you're a holy priesthood. He hath made us unto
our God kings and priests, that we might offer spiritual sacrifices
acceptable to God. Well, what is this sacrifice?
It's ourselves. It's not a dead lamb. It's a
living person. And that's what Paul's saying
here, I appeal to you, I call upon you brethren, because of
the mercies of God to you, that you present yourself a living
sacrifice. Present your members, your faculties,
body and soul to God as a living sacrifice. I read this story
years ago about a missionary to the Indians. a missionary
who preached to the Western Indians, and he was a faithful servant
of God who preached the gospel of Christ to those Indians. And some of them believed. Some
of them bore witness that God had done something for them.
But one day he was sitting in his hut one evening after having
completed his day, and the chief came in. chief of the tribe. He'd been listening to this missionary. And he came into the little hut
and he took off his prized possession, that headdress. Each feather
stood for some victory or some heroic act or some accomplishment. He laid it down in front of the
missionary who was sitting there at a little table. He said, Chief give his headdress to the
Lord. And the missionary was taken
aback. But he knew he had to tell the
chief the truth. He said, well, Chief, the Lord
doesn't need your headdress, nor does he want it. You see,
Chief, the Lord's almighty. He owns all things. If he were
hungry, he wouldn't ask us. If he needed anything, he wouldn't
tell us. We need him. The Lord doesn't want my headdress.
I'm sorry, Chief, that's just the truth." He picked it up and
went out. The missionary sat there thinking,
I hope I haven't offended him to where he'll never listen to
me again. But he came in again, had his Tommy Hawk. That's a prized possession. He
laid it down. He said, missionary, Chief give
his Tommy Hawk to the Lord. They went over it again. He said,
Chief, I'm just sorry. I wouldn't hurt you for the world,
but said, won't accomplish a thing. In fact, the Lord doesn't need
anything you have in your possession, not even my moccasins, not even
your moccasins. But out he went. And the missionary
thought, now that is the end. One long he came back again,
he didn't have anything with him then. He said, missionary!
Chief give himself to the Lord. And the missionary said, that's
it chief. That's what Paul's saying here. I beseech you brethren,
by the mercies of God to you that you present, you surrender,
you commit, yourselves, body and soul, members and faculty,
unto the Lord as a living sacrifice. Lord, let my heart love you above
all things and others. Lord, let my tongue, that's my
members and faculty, it's a little member but it's set on fire with
hail, James said. But let my tongue be presented
and be employed in prayer, in praise, in kind words. And let
my feet, that's my members, my body, take me to the place of
worship, to hear the word of God, to fellowship with believers,
and to encourage others. And let my feet take me to the
home of those in need, that I might minister to them. And let my
arms embrace those who are lonely and weak and fallen, and the
little children, and the little children encouraging them. Let
my hands, that's myself, that's my body, that's my faculty, let
my hands embrace and reach out to in a multitude of ways to
help others, to give, to share, to serve. Because the Lord said,
inasmuch as you've done it to the least of these, my brethren,
you've done it to me. Now you want to give your headdress? Give it to somebody else that
needs it. You want to give your Tommy Hawk?
Give it to somebody that can cut down a trillion dollar house.
See what I'm saying? You want to give your moccasin?
Give it to somebody that doesn't have any shoes. And you're giving
it to him. But you first give yourself. Give yourself. And that's what
he says when he closes that first verse, which is your reasonable
service. That's just what you ought to
do. That ain't anything special. You ought to love God. You ought
to speak words of kindness. You ought to pray for people.
We ought to. That's just what we ought to
do. That's what you ought to do. Don't deserve any crowns
for that. That's just what you ought to
do. Our Lord said this, let me read
it to you, if you want to, you can turn to Luke 17. This is
such an interesting illustration of what I'm talking about. In
Luke 17, verse 7, listen to this, this is interesting. He says
in Luke 17, 7, which of you, having a servant, you've got
a man working for you now, he's out plowing, feeding the cattle,
feeding the chickens. And when he comes in, you'll
say to him by and by when he's come from the field, go sit down
to me. Would you say that to the servant?
No. We'll not rather say unto him, make ready wherewith I may
eat. You're my servant. You make ready
that I may eat, and then you gird yourself and serve me until
I have eaten and drunken, and afterwards you eat and drink. Now did he fight the servant
because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not.
So likewise you, when you shall have done all these things which
are commanded you, just say this, I'm an unprofitable servant,
I've just done what I ought to do. That's the master. See, he taught by parables and
stories and illustrations. I've just done what I ought to
do. When I get through preaching this message, I started prepared.
There's no use being high and mighty. I've just done what I'm
supposed to do and what I ought to do. When you serve other people,
you've just done what you ought to do. That's your reasonable
service. I'm not my own. I'm bought with
a price. I belong to the king. I'm supposed
to serve him. In verse 2, listen to him here.
He says, and don't be conformed to this world. Be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, regeneration, that you may experience,
that you may prove what is that good, acceptable, perfect will
of God. Now let me work on this a minute.
There are two words here that we need to understand. He says,
be not conformed to the world. Do you know what the word conformed
means? Well, this is what it means. Don't be fashioned like unto
worldly people. Don't try to be like them. Don't
try to be similar to the world. Don't copy the world. Don't imitate
the world. Don't try to be like the people
of the world. Don't allow the television and
the magazines and the papers and the people of this world
to tell you how to live. Don't let them tell you how to
dress. That's what they're all wearing.
That's what the world's wearing. That don't mean you gotta wear
it. How to talk. Well, everybody uses foul language.
No, they don't either. Just the world. Believers don't. What to think. Don't allow the
world to tell you what to read. Or music to listen to. Well,
that's what's popular. It is with the world. but not
with God's people. What to believe and how to worship.
These are fads. These are customs. This is peer
pressure and this is a curse. Anytime you imitate somebody,
you're inferior. The original is what's important,
not the imitation. Don't ape this world. Copy this
world. Be like this world. I'm going
to tell you what to do. I was in the Navy. The reason I think about this
now, I see these young people getting tattoos. Incidentally,
if you want to read something in Leviticus about that, did
you know a man could not be a priest and come before the Lord if he
had any blemish on his body, if he did anything like that?
He was done. And the boys are getting these
things. And I was in the Navy, and it
was popular with the sailors then, with the drunk ones. Now,
you're right. You fellas ever heard of it?
Dale got drunk and came back to the ship with a tattoo. Why
don't I have one? I never got drunk. I wrecked
my world for half. I liked it. But I'm so thankful. I'm glad I don't have one of
those things on me. Or I have to go to some doctor
and get him to remove it. One of these days, let me tell
you something. I'll be gone. I'll be in glory.
But if you ever, anybody, young people, get a tattoo on yourself,
thirty years from now you're going to be sitting in your living
room, boy I wish I had not, I wish I had listened to that preacher
and not got my body marked up like that. Don't be like the
world. You don't have to. Don't be conformed
to the world. But he says be transformed. Now
be different. What's the word transform mean?
You know what this word means? You who have Greek lexicons,
when you get home, look it up. It means metamorphosis. That's
exactly what metamorphosis. You know what metamorphosis is?
I'll give you an illustration. There's a caterpillar. crawling caterpillar with his
fourteen or so legs, covered with hair, crawling in the dust,
eaten from the ground, whatever he can find, with no interest
in flowers or beautiful things or nectar. He can't fly. And
as winter comes, that old caterpillar starts weaving a coffin. He starts
at the rear. And that worm weaves a coffin
around itself, beginning at the rear and weaving forward. And after a while he completes
it and he's fully enclosed in that coffin, which is waterproof,
sunproof, unsinkable, indestructible nearly. But then the winter's
over and spring comes. And a ragged hole appears in
the front of that coffin. little ragged hoe, and soon emerges
from that coffin, not the worm with the yellow hair and mossy
feet crawling in the dirt like all other worms, but out of that
coffin comes a beautiful multicolored butterfly, that's metamorphosis,
with wings and an appetite, not for dirt, dust and leaves, but
for the nectar, it comes from God's flower. And God gives him
a tongue that's able to reach right down into that flower and
draw out that sweet, precious nectar. That's metamorphosis. And I'll show you something if
you look this up too. The word transform means transfigured. It means metamorphosis, it means
transfigured. Turn to Matthew chapter 17. It's
the same, same word over here in Matthew 17, identical same
word that's used in reference to our Master. who walked up
that mountain in the flesh with his disciples. If you'd have
seen the three of them, you couldn't have told the difference in them.
They were men, flesh and blood. But now listen to chapter 17,
verse 1. After six days, Jesus took Peter,
James, and John, his brother, bringeth them up into a high
mountain, and he was transfigured before them. Transformed. And his face did shine as the
sun, and his raiment as white as the light. And this is what,
to some extent, is an illustration of what happens when God changes
a man's heart, changes his direction, changes his character, his appearance,
his appetite, and he imitates the Lord and
not the world. Be not conformed to this world.
Don't be like him. Don't be like him. Be transformed,
that you may prove, that you may experience, and you might
manifest yourself in your character and life and conduct, that which
is good. That which helps others, that's
what lifts young people, that which encourages them, that you
may prove, that you may experience, that you may manifest, that which
is good, that which is acceptable, God Almighty,
and is the will of God Almighty. That's what, I don't want to
be like this world, I want to be like God's people, don't you? That's what we're talking about. Look at verse 3, I say through
the grace given to me, to every man among you not to think of
himself more highly than he ought to. Here's the crowning grace,
it's humility. That's the crowning grace. The
Lord resisteth the proud, he gives grace to the humble. God
is nigh unto them of a broken heart, a humble spirit. God saveth
such as be of a contrite spirit and a humble broken heart. This
is the crowning grace. Love is the root. Humility is
the fruit. And Paul speaks from experience.
He said, I say this through the grace that's given to me. Paul
was such an educated, self-righteous, rich, Pharisee. Bragged about how he kept the
law. Bragged about all that he knew
and all that he had done. And God brought him down. He
said, I died. Old Saul of Tarsus died, God buried him. It's Paul
now, the apostle. I'm less than the least of all
the saints, he said. I'm the chief of sinners. So
I say to everyone, every man's among you. I can't tell the world
this. They thrive on this. They thrive
on being bigger, stronger, smarter, richer. more powerful, let's
thrive on that. Let not the rich man glory in
his riches, the mighty man glory in his strength, the wise man
glory in his wisdom. Let him glory in this, he knows
me. But you can't tell the world that, but I say to every man
among you, don't glory in who you are. Because who made you
to differ? Who made you to differ? The mind
you have, who gave it to you? The talent you have on these
instants, who gave it to you? The talent you have to sing,
who gave it to you? The talent to heal, you doctors, who gave
it to you? Don't brag about who you are. It's only by the grace
of God you are who you are, and not some... The only difference
between Charles Spurgeon and Charles Manson is the grace of
God. Can you take that? That's true. The only difference
between you and Charles Manson is the grace of God. The only
reason you're not in prison right now is the grace of God. Don't
brag about who you are. Think of yourself more. Don't
brag about what you have. A man can receive nothing except
it be given him from above. We prosper or we're in poverty
according to the will of God. That's right. The Lord giveth
and the Lord taketh away. Is that in the scripture? The
Lord killeth, the Lord maketh alive. The Lord woundeth, the
Lord healeth. I the Lord do all these things. None can stay in
my hand or say unto me, what are you doing? I'm doing what's
right. I'm the only one, he says, who
knows what's right. Don't go in what you know. Don't
do that. Why is it that people get a little
education and feel like they're better than anybody else? wiser
than anybody else and deserve more recognition than anybody
else. Why? I've got friends right now that
at one time were smart as they come and they're sitting in a
rest home with Alzheimer's and don't know their names. That's
right. Humility is a crowning grace.
Come on down. Come on down now. Don't think
of yourself more highly than you ought to think. Think soberly.
According, watch this, as God has dealt to every man the measure
of faith. God deals. God's doing the dealing. According to his will, God has
dealt to every man life, ability, gifts, talent, life, knowledge,
faith, all of God. And you have nothing except what
he dealt. As God hath dealt to every man a measure, some sixty,
some forty, some a hundred. The measure of faith. And it's
according to his will. According as God hath dealt to
every man the measure, the measure of faith. And gifts they differ. So there's no room for pride
or envy or boasting on the part of any of us. Alright, look at
verse four and five. For as we have many members in
one body, this is my body, it has arms, fingers, legs, toes,
eyes, ears, and all members have not the same duty, the same office,
so we being many are one body in Christ, one body. Now this is talking about a local
church, it is and it isn't, it is and it isn't, but the body
of Christ is singular, it's every believer, and God is pleased
to use every believer in his body in his church as it pleases
him. That's singular. There are churches,
but there is a body of Christ, and we're all members one of
another. An unsaved person is not a member of this body. He may join a local church, but
he's not a member of this body. We being many are one body in
Christ, and every one member is one of another, having then
gifts, differing according to the grace that's given to us.
Now here are some of those gifts given to us, whether it be prophecy.
What is prophecy? Well, it's preaching, preaching
the Word, teaching. Almighty God that gives to me
an understanding of the word and the gift to preach it. All
ministry, verse 7, the ministry, that word is service. Everybody
in the body of Christ ministers to the needs and welfare of others. Everybody. Every person in the
body ministers. Christ said, I came not to be
ministered unto, I came to minister and give my life a ransom for
many. And so we minister, everyone does. Use it diligently. This ministry is not restricted
to an office. This is the ministry of every
believer in the body of Christ. You have a ministry. You have
your children, you have your families, you have your husband
and wife, you have your Companions, you minister, you touch somebody's
life, everything you do. Or teaching, own teaching. There
are men with the ability, men with the ability and women to
teach the Word of God. If one possesses this gift to
teach, he should use it diligently. Study to show yourself unto God
a workman that needeth not be ashamed. Study, teach. Don't teach what you think, teach
what God says. Teach, don't control people or
manipulate them or maneuver them, just teach them. Like I told
you last Sunday morning, when I get through teaching, my work's
over. God has to apply it. I can't make people do things. It wouldn't be a blessing if
they were made to do it. A little boy was giving his mom
a hard time. She said, sit down. But he did. And he laughed. She said, what
are you laughing at? He said, I'm sitting down outside, I'm standing
up on the inside. And that's what you do when you
make people do things. They still stand up on the inside.
But God can bring them down on the inside. And when they come
down on the inside, they'll come down on the outside. That's exactly
right. He that exhorteth, encourageth,
let him encourage everybody he can. He that giveth, Let him
do it with simplicity, with generosity. This doesn't mean there's some
who are not to give. Everybody's to give. Everybody's
a giver. But some people are blessed with
the ability to give more. And God enables them. And so
this is their gift, their gift to give. He that ruleth. Who
does that take in? That takes in pastors and elders
and husbands, mothers and fathers and teachers. policemen and those
that rule, those that have some... And we've been watching some
of these fellows that have misused their offices and their power
and their position. He that ruled, let him do it
with diligence. If you're in charge of anything,
do it right. Do it honestly. Do it as unto
the Lord. If you're in charge of anything,
give a good report. That's exactly right. He that
showeth mercy, let him do it with cheerfulness. And we're
right back to verse 1. I beseech you, brethren, by the
mercies of God, that you present yourselves. Last word here he
said on the gift was show mercy. Why? Because he showed mercy
to me.