Sermon Notes
The Gospel (Good News)
God saves sinners through Jesus.
The Gospel (The Power of the Good News)
- What it is
- What it can do
- A specific application
In today’s message we will examine how does the gospel unfold inside my personal life? The Apostle Paul challenged the Church at Rome to live out the good news in two key avenues:
- Worship
- Renewal
Discuss: What comes to mind when you hear the word “worship”?
Paul describes proper worship in a surprising way – Romans 12:1
The worship through sacrifice in the ancient world:
- Often included a blood sacrifice (or something of value)
- Was used to communicate to the gods
- The communication was almost always a petition
- The religious act was disconnected from the person’s thoughts, feelings or disposition.
Paul erases the gap between a religious ceremony and personal conviction.
Key Question: What do you do with your body?
(That is potentially an act of worship.)
Paul highlights the importance of mental renewal as we live the Gospel. (Rom. 12:2)
According to Paul, if you want to be conformed to this world, then refuse to renew your mind.
Renewal Test: When was the last time you said…
- “I didn’t know that. Thank you for sharing this with me.”
- “That is some new information. I will be sure to consider that.”
- “I’m new to this topic, but I am willing to learn.”
- “I have developed a new perspective based upon this new information.”
To live out the gospel we must:
- Worship our God with our body.
- Transform our lives by renewing our mind.
Application:
- How can you close the gap between religious acts and personal acts?
- What is something new you can learn?
Discussion Questions
MAIN TEXT
Romans 12:1-2
TALK IT OUT
- What do you think of when you hear the word “worship”? Read Romans 12:1. How does Paul define worship in this verse?
- What does becoming a living sacrifice to God mean to you? What does that look like in your own daily life?
- Read Romans 12:1 again. Paul suggests that becoming a living sacrifice to God is really just the proper and appropriate response on our part in view of the amazing love and mercy God has shown us. Would you agree or disagree with his assessment? Why or why not?
- Do you usually think of conforming to something as a good thing or a bad thing? Paul begins Romans 12:2 by saying, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world.” Read 1 Corinthians 3:19 and 1 John 2:16-17. According to these verses, why would conforming to this world be a bad thing?
- Read Romans 12:2, Romans 8:5-6, Colossians 1:21-23, John 17:17 and Isaiah 55:8-9. According to these passages, why do our minds need to be renewed to the truth?
LIVE IT OUT
- Are there any areas of your life in which you find yourself gravitating to the world’s way of thinking? Set aside some time this week to discover what the Scriptures have to say about those things.
- What could you do differently this week to allow worship to become more of a lifestyle for you?