A Dedication of Self

Romans 12:1-2

One day, a mouse on a farm decided to go from the barn to the house to look for some food. Upon entering the house, he was disappointed to discover there was a mousetrap in the house. Breathlessly he ran out of the house back to the barn to warn the other animals about the trap in the house. He first went to the hen and said, “There is a mouse trap in the house! There is a mouse trap in the house—don’t go in there!”

The hen said, “I am much too big for the trap and I never ever go in the house anyway, because I am much too busy sitting on my eggs. I can’t be bothered with such nonsense.”

Next, the little mouse went to the pig and said, “There is a trap in the house—don’t go in there!”

The pig replied, “I am too busy wallowing in my mud hole and eating my slop. I don’t have time to enter the house, and even if I did, surely I am too big to even be bothered by the trap.”

The little mouse then went to warn the cow, which said, “The trap in the house does not bother me. I am way too big, and besides, why would I want to go into the house? I have a perfectly good stall right here in the barn anyway.”

The mouse went away dejected because no one else seemed concerned about the trap in the house. The next week, the farmer’s wife fell ill with a fever and he brought her to town to see the doctor. That afternoon, he brought her back home. He then killed the chicken to make chicken soup for his wife.

As the week went by, the farmer’s wife did not get any better and some people came over to sit with her and help the old farmer out. The farmer had to kill the pig to feed all of these people. Eventually, the farmer’s wife died and the cow had to be killed to feed everyone who came to sit with the farmer as he mourned his wife.

The chicken, the pig, and the cow had become so comfortable doing what they thought was important. As a result, they failed to take seriously the mouse’s message. The mousetrap was just a part of the larger danger in the house. But just like the unwary barn animals, we often continue without concern despite the warnings given by the man or woman of God. This is where many of us are today! We are not concerned about the trap of this world. We are not concerned with the lures of this world which draw us. We go on blithely with our lives despite the message of danger. Every pastor who discerns and preaches the Word and every Sunday school teacher who studies, discerns, and teaches the Word is like the mouse. They are warning everyone, but few are heeding the warning. Many people are living according to the sinful desires of the flesh, blinding themselves to the truth. They don’t want to know the truth of God’s Word because in this truth is the conviction for those who still choose to live in sin. That is why many today have no desire to study God’s Word—because they don’t want to learn the truth, be convicted, and give up the world they love.

But God’s Word has a message for us today and that message is found in Romans 12:1. Here Paul says, 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.

Charles Ryrie commented that this appeal for dedication is not addressed to people in general. Instead, it is addressed to Believers. Paul has already pointed out in Romans 6:13, Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. When this is done, we surrender to His Will.

Andrew Murray writes in Absolute Surrender that God expects our surrender; He accomplishes our surrender; He accepts our surrender; and—don't miss this—God maintains our surrender. In other words, He helps us stay surrendered to Him through the wonderful aid of His Holy Spirit, and then He blesses our surrender. And so when Paul says, 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, there are three things that we should know:
 
First we should know that this is a call for dedication of our bodies. In 1 Corinthians 6:15, we understand the importance of our bodies to Christ. In this passage we are asked, Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? This makes the dedication of our bodies all the more important.

By definition, Webster defines “dedicate” to mean, “set apart for worship of a deity or devote to a sacred purpose.” This is why we are called to take care of our bodies—when we become Believers, our bodies are dedicated for the service of the Lord. This means it is not only important to avoid putting nicotine or cocaine in our bodies, but it is also important to exercise our bodies and keep them looking good. I know we’ve heard people say, “It’s not hurting anybody but me!” That is not totally true. Our bodies were not created for our own purpose to use any way we please. They were not made for others, our families, our spouses, our children, or our possessions. They are for God. In fact, you and I were made for God’s service. Our family and friends may enjoy our company, but our service belongs to God.

This brings us to the second thing we are called to do. We are called to be a sacrifice. In the Old Testament, the best animal was offered. It had to be without spot or blemish. God was never happy with sacrifices nobody else wanted. Sometimes people would keep the best for themselves and give God the leftovers. God said in Malachi 1:13, …Behold, what a weariness is it! And ye have snuffed at it, saith the Lord of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? Saith the Lord.

The sacrifice was slain before the altar and given to God. We are called to put to death those things in our lives that are ungodly, which produces death. Romans 8:13 is a great reminder, For if we live after the flesh, we shall die: but if we through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, we shall live. Mortify means to put to death. Our call is to put to death our stubborn habits, selfish ways, and rebellious attitudes so we can be living sacrifices to the glory of our Lord.

Then finally, we do it all because this is the Will of God. God wants to see it happen in the life of every Believer. This is why Murray writes that God blesses our surrender to His Will.

If you’re wondering, What does this look like in the flesh? let me explain. It’s living your life in a way that you do not conform to the world. Surrender to the will of God influences us to operate with a transformed mind that is made new through our relationship with Christ.

Many Believers struggle with conformity. By definition, to conform means “to bend to the will or become like something or someone else.” Many people claim that they are not conforming to this world, but rather are doing what they are supposed to do. These same people will often do the same things as their neighbors. They will use the actions of everyone else to justify their own actions. They’ll tell you, “There is nothing wrong with it because everyone else is doing it! There is nothing wrong with drinking that beer, going to the casino, or watching that movie which shows more than I need to see, because everyone is doing it. Preacher, it is okay to have an addiction to smoking and tobacco. I am not hurting anyone else but myself.”

Not only does Webster disagree with your definition, but most importantly, God disagrees. Is it not conformity to the standards of this world when we use the excuse that everybody else is doing it?

Now friend, there is good news: we don’t surrender our lives to Christ to get saved. We don’t even do it to win the Lord’s love. You see, Ephesians 2:8-9 explains that everything needed for our salvation was provided at Calvary. All we need to do is accept it. This means you need to believe Jesus died for your sins and rose again!

So why, then, do we present our bodies if it won’t get us saved and we already have Jesus’ Love? It’s all because of what He has done for us. Paul said it is only REASONABLE!

Here’s what happens when God transforms us. He is like a goldsmith who works on refining the gold. It’s placed in fire so that all the dross and impurities rise to the surface and are removed. After the process is completed, the goldsmith has pure gold. When we are tried in the fire of hard times, persecutions, heartaches, and life’s ups and downs, God uses these fires to perfect us. You may be wondering, How does the goldsmith know when the work is completed? Well, if you asked Him, He would say it is finished when He can see His reflection in the gold. The Lord’s work is not completed in us until He can see His reflection in our lives! When we become living sacrifices for Him and grow in Him, others can see His reflection in us!

Back to 2011 Sermons
View Sermon Archive