TODAY – The Power of the Process
Throughout life, to achieve anything, to learn, to grow, to take positive steps in any area there is a process. This is especially so when it comes to our spiritual life – in presenting ourselves to God and renewing our mind to focus on Him rather than the world around us. This is what I want to unpack in our time together.
PRAY
Recap Ps Rob’s message.
Romans 12:1-2 is today’s text.
- Read HCSB
NIV: “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper (spiritual act) worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
One of my favourite Scriptures. I want to unpack a few elements of these two verses, however I will have a focus on the mind/our thinking throughout today.
Why the mind?
Three focus points today:
1. The Process of Presentation
2. The Process of Transformation
3. The Process of Renewal
These are all things that require us to be active in some way – whether it be submitting ourselves to God or choosing to make choices that reflect who He is – there is a part we play in how our spiritual life plays out, not just the Holy Spirit working within us.
1. The Process of Presentation
Have you ever done a presentation for work or school? How did it go? Good? Bad? Somewhere in between? I’ve had my share of these.
Sometimes our presentation is great, other times, not so much. In our Scripture we read Paul saying “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” … our presentation to God is who we are. Our physical selves and how we live our lives. “this is your true worship” – presenting ourselves to God, sacrificing our lives to Him in obedience, is our act of worship.
So how do we combat this and succeed in the process of presentation?
Ephesians 6 speaks about the Armour of God. When it comes to the mind, we have the helmet of Salvation.
When we stand upon His love, and walk with the revelation that we are saved by grace through faith, we can stand firm against any scheme of the enemy and present ourselves to God. This is a process though … we have moments where our mind will try to fail us. We have to actively choose to put on the helmet of salvation and choose to present ourselves to God … and in doing so remember this: He is brought pleasure by us doing that.
And as we present ourselves to Him, we discover:
2. The Process of Transformation
When we accept the love of God and gift of Salvation, we are washed clean spiritually. We may be the same on the outside, but we change on the inside.
More than that, by reading and meditating on Scripture, through prayer, by joining a church community and getting involved (touch on contribute last week) – we position ourselves to receive from God and allow for the process of transformation to continue in our lives.
And so, as we are transformed, we are renewed.
3. The Process of Renewal
Looking up the definition of renew/renewal, there are some profound representations and realities of this word.
“make new (existence; restore to freshness)”
“replenish (act or process of renewing) – repetition”
Relationship with God is not pointless – far from it. As we seek God and lay down our own desires and plans, which we need to do consistently and continually, we become more and more like Christ.
End of v2 “so that” – two great words and speak to what comes of obedience to God.
“so that you (we) may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”
Today, I encourage you to take captive every thought. To silence the inner critic, the inner doubt, the inner voice lying about who you are and embark on the process of presentation, the process of transformation that follows, and to repeat this so that the process of renewal can take place.
There is power in the process church!
Discussion Questions:
- Where are you at on the process?
- What speaks to you from Romans 12:1-2?
- How is your presentation going?
- Are you allowing for transformation?
- What does renewal mean to and look like for you?
- How can we encourage each other along the process?
- Are you willing to commit to presenting yourself to God?