www.rossvillechurch.com

781 Salem Road, Rossville, GA 30741

1March 6, 2011

God loves youGod loves you and wants to change your life.

If you are not yetnot yet His child, He loves you and wants to save you from sin and from

hell.

If you are already bornalready born of God's Holy Spirit, He loves you and wants to bless you.

Romans 12 1 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.

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We have been studying doctrinedoctrine in the early chapters of Romans, but chapter 12chapter 12

turns to the practicalpractical::

Every day Christian livingChristian living, where the rubber meets the road.

{Again} 1 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.

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To present our bodies a living sacrificeliving sacrifice unto God is to offer ourselves freelyoffer ourselves freely to live life God's Way.

Everything we areare, all that we havehave, and everything we dodo belongs to Godbelongs to God..

That's a living sacrifice.That's a living sacrifice.

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Take My Life and Let It Be

Take my life, and let it beConsecrated, Lord, to Thee;Take my moments and my days,Let them flow in ceaseless praise.Let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them moveAt the impulse of Thy love;Take my feet, and let them beSwift and beautiful for Thee.Swift and beautiful for Thee.

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Take my voice, and let me singAlways, only, for my King;Take my lips, and let them beFilled with messages from Thee.Filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold:Not a mite would I withhold;Take my intellect, and useEv'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.Ev'ry pow'r as Thou shalt choose.

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Take my will, and make it Thine,It shall be no longer mine;Take my heart, it is Thine own,It shall be Thy royal throne.It shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pourAt Thy feet its treasure store;Take myself, and I will be,Ever, only, all for Thee.Ever, only, all for Thee.

Words: Frances R. Havergal 1874http://www.hymnlyrics.org/mostpopularhymns/take_my_life_and_let_it_be.php

That is the mindsetmindset of a

living living sacrificesacrifice.

We are taught to presentpresent our bodies unto God.

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God doesn't have to take ustake us or make usmake us give or do.

We willinglywillingly and gladlygladly offer ourselves to Him --

To do To do as Heas He will. will.There is no reluctanceno reluctance, resistanceresistance, or resentmentresentment in a living sacrifice.

A living sacrifice -- holyholy and acceptableacceptable unto God.

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Holy = morally pure; consecrated

Consecrate is to commit one's self to; set apart.

We comecome to God filled with sin, but He washesHe washes away our sins in the BloodBlood of Jesus.

He makes usHe makes us fit to serve Him, dedicateddedicated to His WillHis Will and His PurposeHis Purpose.

Not everyone is meant to be a professional professional ChristianChristian; earning a living from Christian work.

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nigeria.jpg400 × 240 - A. W. Banfield was an early pioneer missionary to Nigeria, West Africa.bethelcollege.edu

Wife and mother

Which is your reasonablereasonable service

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This is what God did for us.

Is it unreasonable that we should serve Him?

2 And be not conformed to this worldbe 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.

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World here is not the earthnot the earth; it's the standards, desires, customs, and ways of the people.

The world orderThe world orderWe are commanded not to fitnot to fit into their pattern;

Their way of lifeTheir way of life..

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SecurityPleasure

Success

These are not God's Standards.

Our success is to have Our success is to have God's God's approvalapproval..Our pleasure is to doto do God's Will.

Our securityOur security is to stand on God Promises.

2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye but be ye transformedtransformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, Will of God.

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Transformed = metamorphosis

HowHow do we undergo such a drastic changedrastic change?

"By the "By the renewingrenewing of our minds" of our minds"

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A new way of thinking will producewill produce a new way of living.

Philippians 4 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

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This is the Bible standardBible standard for thinking.

True = true, as in not concealingnot concealing.

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Honest: venerable (commanding respect); honorablehonorable

Just = right; fair

Pure: Clean, innocent, modest

Lovely: friendly towards; acceptable

Good report - well spoken of; faith in God.

Virtuous: excellence, courageous, manliness

Praise: commendable; thanksworthy, praiseworthy

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Every Christian is a new creation -- a new spiritnew spirit --

born of Godborn of God.We spend the rest of our lives learning to letlearning to let our

new spirit rulespirit rule our minds, emotions, and bodies --

Learning to submit to God's WordGod's Word and God's SpiritGod's Spirit all the timetime, in every circumstancecircumstance,

In thoughtthought, and wordword, and deeddeed.

Romans 12 1-2 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. 2 And 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.

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"I Can't Feel at Home in this World any more."

"I've Been Changed."

"It's Different Now."