Sabbath 8/29/15 Daytona Beach SDB church Minister Tom sermon “We Have Met the Enemy” Romans 12:2
“Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God”.
Scripture says for us to put on the whole armor of God to fight the devil. We are soldiers of Christ and need to put on our armor. There is evil worldwide and terrorism is everywhere. Mass killings of people happen on college campuses and in shopping mall weekly. There is also evil sexual immorality everywhere. We must put on our armor to fight this evil.
The reality is that few of us will ever deal directly with the kind of evil that comes from Satan directly. We probably will not ever say “we have met the enemy and they are ours”. Many of us have more of a “spiritual defeat” instead. We should not be conformed to this world but have a new mind in Christ Jesus. We must not conform to the ways of this world.
1) Why is it easy to conform to the world?
The Christian church used to be prosecuted and killed for being Christians. Daily persecutions are a good reason for why it is easier to conform to the world. Jesus said the world hates Him and so it will hate us too. We are not of the world so the world will hate us. It is easier to conform to the world because the ways of the world bring wealth and success through ways that are NOT God-like. Remember the Bible says the world will pass away.
2) What’s wrong with conforming to the world?
Being conformed to the world separates us from God. We are called to be the salt and the light of the world. How can we be salt and light if we are conformed to the ways of the world? When this happens we have stopped being useful to our Father God.
3) What does it mean to be transformed?
The transformation is the renewing of our mind. We do this by reading and studying the Word of God. We also renew our minds by praying to the Lord. There is mental work when renewing your mind and comparing the ways of the world to the Will of God. A renewed mind is recognizing that the world’s ways may look good but are not good at all. Being transformed is being the light of the world and being different. It is daring to do it God’s way and NOT the world’s way! We should be able to say that we want to live above this world and have God plant our feet on higher ground.
AMEN
“Be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, acceptable and perfect will of God”.
Scripture says for us to put on the whole armor of God to fight the devil. We are soldiers of Christ and need to put on our armor. There is evil worldwide and terrorism is everywhere. Mass killings of people happen on college campuses and in shopping mall weekly. There is also evil sexual immorality everywhere. We must put on our armor to fight this evil.
The reality is that few of us will ever deal directly with the kind of evil that comes from Satan directly. We probably will not ever say “we have met the enemy and they are ours”. Many of us have more of a “spiritual defeat” instead. We should not be conformed to this world but have a new mind in Christ Jesus. We must not conform to the ways of this world.
1) Why is it easy to conform to the world?
The Christian church used to be prosecuted and killed for being Christians. Daily persecutions are a good reason for why it is easier to conform to the world. Jesus said the world hates Him and so it will hate us too. We are not of the world so the world will hate us. It is easier to conform to the world because the ways of the world bring wealth and success through ways that are NOT God-like. Remember the Bible says the world will pass away.
2) What’s wrong with conforming to the world?
Being conformed to the world separates us from God. We are called to be the salt and the light of the world. How can we be salt and light if we are conformed to the ways of the world? When this happens we have stopped being useful to our Father God.
3) What does it mean to be transformed?
The transformation is the renewing of our mind. We do this by reading and studying the Word of God. We also renew our minds by praying to the Lord. There is mental work when renewing your mind and comparing the ways of the world to the Will of God. A renewed mind is recognizing that the world’s ways may look good but are not good at all. Being transformed is being the light of the world and being different. It is daring to do it God’s way and NOT the world’s way! We should be able to say that we want to live above this world and have God plant our feet on higher ground.
AMEN