PASTORAL THEOLOGY

SERMON PAPER

Rev. Melchor Belono-ac

Submitted To:

Jomar Cuizon Paares

Submitted By:

September 05, 2016, Monday

Date:

Title: The Will of God

Guide Question: How To Know The Will of God?
Text: Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of Gods mercy, to offer your
bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God - this is your true and proper
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 Gods will is - His
good, pleasing and perfect will.

Introduction:

The Book of Romans Background:

* Romans is an epistle / letter form. Apostle Paul wrote this letter by dictating it to Tertius
because he was in Corinth this time and there is a circumstances that prevented him to
come to Rome personally. The Book of Romans is the most powerful theology of history
in the whole Bible. Apostle Paul explains the basis Gospel message, how God declares
people righteous by simply on the basis of their believing in Jesus, Believers gift of
service through the power of the Holy Spirit and to assure the saints in Rome that the
coming of Jesus was indeed the fulfillment of Gods promises in the Old Testament.

I. By Offering Yourself To God - Romans 12:1

a.) Definition
* Greek Word of Offering: Prosphora meaning Sacrifice / Surrender / Present
b.) Illustration
* In The Old Testament, no one knows what was exactly the will of God. Because it was
not yet the proper time to let them know. Even the main leaders that God used like
Abraham, Moses, Elijah and etc. did not know that what they were doing was in
connection about the coming of this one person namely Jesus Christ of Nazareth. God has
just told them a little about His grand plan but not the entire grand plan. These people
offered anything including themselves, sacrificed all of their being and tried everything
they could do to please and follow the will of God. Yet, they did not even know His entire
grand plan. Secret things belongs unto the Lord, but those things which are revealed
belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
(Deuteronomy 29:29).
* In The New Testament, God now revealed to us His will through Christ Jesus His Son.
But still, theres only one thing you need to do to know His will, and that is, to offer /
surrender yourselves to God and accept His Son Jesus Christ to be your Personal Lord
and Savior. Compared to the people in the Old Testament who followed God even though
they dont fully understand His will, today we are blessed because as we follow Christ,
we already know His will through that Name. God wants that all people will offer /
surrender their lives to Him so that He can restore our relationship to Him and do His
good, pleasing and perfect will in our lives. All Gods will is in Jesus Christ. So, if you
have relationship to Christ, you will know the will of the Father. For I came down from
heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of My Father that sent me. And this is the
will of My Father in heaven that sent Me, that everyone which see the Son, and believe
on Him, will have everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the last day. (John 6:38,40).
c.) Application
* Everyday, we always worry about how we live our life, what is our future and etc. We
always work hard to be able to gain our dreams in life. Sometimes, we feel discourage
when the situations in our life is opposite to the plan the we dream of. If we people is
eager and wants to have a successful and good life, God himself wants it too. He wants us
to see healthy, happy, prosperous and have a good future because He love us so much.
But because there is a problem and that is the sin that live in us, He offered His Son Jesus
Christ to die for our sins because He promised in His word that He will be a loving God.
Now, for us to be able to know His good will, let us offer / surrender our life to Him.
* For example, the Bible says, Our God is love (1 John 4:8). Love cannot be love unless it gives.
Now, God created us so that He could have someone to give His love and prove it that true love
gives. He proved it that He is love when He Himself gave and offered His Son Jesus Christ to be
punished and to die as a replacement of our sins.

II. By Not Conforming To The Pattern of The World - Romans 12:2a

a.) Definition
* Greek Word of Conforming: Suschematizo meaning Fashions Oneself To Another
b.) Illustration
* In The Old Testament, the Israelite has no human King because God Himself is their
King. But as they were engaged in their enemies, they found out that they have a King.
Due to their jealousy and covetousness, they cried unto the Lord that they want also a
King so that they can follow His commandments correctly and stop sinning. They never
realized that the God they serve who brought them out of slavery in Egypt is their King.
So, God later on raised the First Israel King namely King Saul. But instead that the
Israelites will be obedient, they became more disobedient to His commandment that even
their King sinned against God. In other words, the Israelites conformed / fashioned to the
pattern of the worldly system and because of that, a lot of them, died.
* In The New Testament, now God gave us not just a King, but a Righteous King and that
is His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. But He came on earth not in a form of a King, but
in a form of a servant. The world did not acknowledge and accept Him as King, but yet
kings on earth feared Him. In other words, Christ did not conformed / fashioned to the
pattern of this world and because of that, a lot of people today, live.
c.) Application
* Sometimes in our daily living, we always follow the ways of the world because we
thought that if we follow it, it will help our dreams to come true, and sometimes we
thought that it is somehow Gods will and ways of giving us His blessings. But it is
absolutely incorrect. Because the will of God cannot be found on earth, neither can it be
discovered by the world. Because the will of God is not earthly but heavenly, it is not
physical but spiritual. Only the Holy Spirit can reveal to us the grand plan of God in our
lives. Even the Spirit of Truth whom the world cannot receive, because it see Him not,
neither know Him. But you know Him, for He dwell in you, and shall be in you. Howbeit
when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth, for He shall not
speak of Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak, and He will show
you things to come. (John 14:17 ; 16:13). So, let us be strong and be a man of integrity
that we will not follow any pattern or ways in the world, so that we can know and do the
will of God in our lives which God has already said that His will is good, pleasing and
perfect and His plans for us is greater than our plans, as the heavens is higher than the
earth. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways are higher than your
ways, and My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. (Isaiah 54:9). We must rather
settle for the perfect, permanent and pleasing plan of God, than for an imperfect,
temporary and unpleasing plan of ours.

III. By Renewing of Your Mind - Romans 12:2b

a.) Definition
* Greek Word of Renewing: Anakainoo meaning Make New Again
b.) Illustration
* In The Old Testament, God renew the 10 Commandments in the Book of Deuteronomy,
to remind the new generation Israelites of their faithfulness to their God. But still these
people repeatedly committed sins against their God and His character here in the Old
Testament is very strict that He will dare to kill anyone who will sin against His will.
* In The New Testament, Christ simplified the 10 Commandments into 2
Commandments. That are, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and
with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And
the second is like unto it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39).
Due to the hardness of the heart and mind of the Israelites in the Old Testament, that
leaded them to repeatedly commit sin against God, Christ made it simple but it revealed
the very core of the commandment and that is love. Christ came on earth with love. He
came not as a Judge, but as a Savior, Redeemer, Healer, Provider and etc. to those who
believe. He came with a different character compared to the character of God in the Old
Testament. He did this because He wants us people To come bodly unto the throne of
grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need. (Hebrews 4:16).
c.) Application
* Sometimes in our life, we came to the point that because we are already saved, we are
already active in church activities and etc. but still our life has no peace and still worried
about our how to live this life, our future and etc. Renewing our mind is another area that
we need to overcome. Renewing our mind is making our thoughts, words, actions and
faith new again. Even if the current situation we have is opposite. We must practice using
the mind of Christ which was given to us. (1 Corinthians 2:16). It is about repentance.
Repentance means in Greek, metanoia meaning Change of Mind. Since we are still in
the carnal body, we are still at war, not anymore in the real world because Christ said He
already overcome the world and we overcome it also through our faith. (John 16:33 ; 1
John 5:4), but in our minds. The battle today is in our minds. We need renew our minds
everyday by reading the word of God everyday so that we can know and do His will. For
to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. (Rom. 8:7).

Challenge / Conclusion:
Therefore, be ye not unwise, but know what the will of the Lord is.
- Ephesians 5:17