(# 386) Romans 12 - Christians Are Not Designed to Serve Two Masters

Welcome To

BARAH MINISTRIES

a Christian Church

Rory Clark

Pastor-Teacher

 

Good Morning!

 

Welcome to Barah Ministries…a Christian Church with worldwide impact based in Mesa, AZ…my name is Pastor Rory Clark.  At Barah Ministries, our God is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Are Not Designed to Serve Two Masters

 

Our God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his enemy Satan, are in a battle for our minds.  God wants us to think like Him and to act like Him…Isaiah, Chapter 55, Verse 9 says…

 

ISAIAH 55:9

“For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways…and so are My thoughts higher than your thoughts (says the Lord).”

 

This might make you feel small.  This might send you scurrying to find ways to make your thoughts bigger.  But our God tells us what to do, “Don’t be conformed.”  That means don’t listen to Satan, to the world, and to the flesh.  It also means don’t conjure up a do it yourself program of thought.  Instead keep on letting your thoughts be transformed by God!  Why?  Christians are not designed to serve two masters. 

 

Since the day you were born, our God, knowing from eternity past that you would be a believer in union with Christ, began the process of transforming you.  And the One who began a good work in creating you, will keep on completing it…God will keep on perfecting you.  Satan is not interested in helping you at all, because as a believer in Christ, you don’t belong to Him.  He is merely interested in ruining you.  Welcome to a place where you can learn exactly what your master, the Lord Jesus Christ, has planned in your transformation.

MUSIC AND REFLECTION

Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ

Enjoy the Singing of His Praises

 

OUR GOD

Chris Tomlin

 

As we prepare for the study of the Word of God, if you have a pen and paper handy, I would like you to begin thinking about, and to write down, the problems in your life for which you have no answer.  God has the answers!  God has a divine solution for every one of your human problems.  And God is on your side.  You belong to Him.  As you reflect on your burdens, listen to Chris Tomlin sing about OUR GOD.

 

OPENING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

Gratitude is the memory of the heart…gratitude is a deep appreciation for a kindness rendered by someone…and we are grateful to You, Almighty God and Father for so many things … but especially for your kindness.

 

We give thanks that You are so big in all those moments when we are so small…we thank you for always considering our problems to be Your responsibility…we appreciate it that when things are so big to us they are so small and easy for You to handle…thank you for already solving all of our problems…

 

Father change our perspective…remind us that You’re just waiting for us to come to You to ask for solutions to our problems…we allow ourselves to be conformed when we succumb to the temptation of Satan’s lies…but You are bigger and badder than Satan…You have already defeated Him…and You have shared Your victory over Him with us…remind us daily, in the silence of our prayer life, that our battles are Your battles…that You faithfully take our side in everything, always…and keep on transforming us into the people You destined us to become as part of Your perfect plan…

 

We ask this through the power of God the Holy Spirit…in Christ’s name...

Amen.

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Are Not Designed to Serve Two Masters

 

According to the Word of God there are only two kinds of people in this world…BELIEVERS IN CHRIST…those justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation…and UNBELIEVERS…those who remain condemned in their unbelief by rejecting a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, either through ignorance, or through willful antagonism.  In other words, every person has only one master.  For believers in Christ, our master is the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  For unbelievers, their master is Satan, the enemy of God.  Luke, Chapter 16, Verse 13 says…

 

LUKE 16:13

No servant can serve two masters…for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other.

 

Christians are not designed to serve two masters.  In fact, no one is.  In the passage this verse comes from, the Lord is talking about serving God and money, but the passage easily applies to serving God and Satan. In Joshua, Chapter 24, Verse 15, Joshua challenges Israel to stop making pacts with foreign gods…

 

JOSHUA 24:15

If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve…whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the Euphrates River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living…but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

 

As believers in Christ we have made our choice to serve The Living God…and our enemy, Satan, does everything He can to get us to betray our master.  Satan tempts us to shift our eyes away from the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Lord’s half brother James has something to say to believers who take their eyes off of the Lord…James, Chapter 1, Verses 5 to 8…

 

JAMES 1:5

But if any of you lacks wisdom, and some of you do, let him ask of God the Father (in prayer), who gives wisdom to all generously and without reproach, and wisdom will be given to him.

 

We ask the Father because HE is the one whom we serve…He is our master…this is the power of prayer.

 

JAMES 1:6

But a believer in Christ must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, blown (horizontally) and tossed (vertically) by the wind.

 

JAMES 1:7

For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord…

 

JAMES 1:8

…being a double-minded man (the “two-souled” man…staggering like a drunk), unstable in all his ways.

 

Christians are not designed to serve two masters.  Christians are not designed to think about two masters.  We are not to be conformed, thinking as Satan thinks.  Instead we are to be transformed by God.  We are to think as our master thinks.

 

So we continue our study of the apostle Paul’s letter to the believers in first century Rome…we’re in passage two of chapter twelve…here’s the first passage we studied…my translation…

 

ROMANS 12:1 (Rory Translation)

Because of all the things you have learned about yourselves as Gentiles, and because of all the things you have learned about Israel and The Jewish Race in the first eleven chapters of this letter…I…the apostle Paul…beg you… believers in Christ…as you keep on being persuaded because of the many and multi-faceted mercies of God…to present your bodies…by choice, not by command…simply responding to God’s invitation…as a living sacrifice… holy and acceptable to God the Father…which is your spiritual service… worship.

 

The current passage under study is Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 2…

 

ROMANS 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world (by Satan, by his world system of thought, and by the flesh)…instead, keep on being transformed by (God the Holy Spirit)…through the renewing of your mind (by studying the Word of God)… so that you may see clearly…through testing…what the will of God is…and the will of God is that which is good and that which is acceptable and that which is perfect.

 

In the last four lessons we’ve looked at the idea of choosing to be CONFORMED by Satan, by his world system of thought, and by the flesh…or choosing to be TRANSFORMED by God.  To be conformed means…

 

CONFORM

To be made similar in form…similar in nature…or similar in character.

 

That’s exactly what Satan wants for you.  He wants you to follow him.  He wants you to follow his crowd of unbelievers.    He wants you to think like them.  He wants you to have no character like them.  He wants you to be your worst self.  He wants you to get tied up in yourselves.  He wants you to play small.  And if the truth were known, you’re used to following Satan’s instructions…and many times you want to follow him.  His temptations, which are lies of course, look really attractive.

 

For those of you who consider Barah Ministries home, or even for those of you who consider Barah Ministries a good place to be a Check-the-Box Christian…I know these lessons wash over you…I’m just wondering if they sink into you.  I’m wondering if they are penetrating for you, like the cold Portland, Oregon rain, which comes down in a fine mist that soaks into your clothes and makes you feel its presence by making you shiver to your core.  Or do you just come to the Word of God with an umbrella up so that none of the lesson really gets into you.  Do these lesson change you?  Does the Word of God have a profound effect on you?  If not, you’re allowing yourselves to be conformed.

 

In spite of what you choose, our God keeps on transforming you.  What does it mean to be transformed?

 

TRANSFORM

To undergo a complete change in form or substance or structure especially to a completely different form of energy

 

God is pruning you believers in Christ…He is constantly pulling the dead branches from your life that Satan inserts to cloud, to confuse, and to conform your mind.  God wants you to be perfect in thought and in action, just like He is perfect…and He has given you a power source, God the Holy Spirit, to teach you how to keep on making right choices.  All you have to focus on, to be perfect, is on making the next right choice.  There’s no need for you to feel guilty.  Just get up when Satan knocks you down and make the next right choice.  Here’s the apostle Peter’s advice, in First Peter, Chapter 1, Verses 13 to 16…

 

FIRST PETER 1:13

Therefore, prepare your mindset for action, keep sober in spirit (control yourselves), FIX YOUR HOPE completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

Obedience is a tough-minded activity!

 

FIRST PETER 1:14

As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts that were yours in your ignorance (about God…as unbelievers)…

 

In other words, take your direction from within where the Trinity indwells…BE TRANSFORMED…rather than being influenced from the outside by Satan, by his world system of thought, and by the flesh…conformed.

 

FIRST PETER 1:15

…but like the Holy One who called you (out of darkness in to His marvelous light), BE HOLY yourselves also in all your behavior…

 

FIRST PETER 1:16

…because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

 

The key to your perfection is to remember that God keeps on transforming you…you are a work in progress.  Make the next right choice.  That’s perfect!

 

Think of yourselves a vessel.  Two leaders seek to intoxicate you with their fine wines…both Satan and the Lord.  What wine will you choose?  What wine will you offer your vessel to?  Will it be Satan’s choice for you… Ripple…a flavor fortified wine with high alcohol content designed to get you really drunk really fast?  Or will it be Chateau d’Yquem, an expensive, elegant and sweet white wine from France…which is not mean to be ingested so that you get drunk…but instead is meant to be sipped slowly for the pure pleasure of it…especially because it is ,000 a bottle!

 

To be intoxicated means to be affected by a substance…when you are conformed you are affected in a way that hurts you…when you are transformed you are completely changed in a way that makes you unrecognizable to the world.  God’s Word is intoxicating!  What will you allow to be placed in your vessel?  Christians are not designed to serve two masters.  Focus is so much easier.

 

Let’s take a music break.  Andrae Crouch tells us that being transformed means trusting God and His Word in his song THROUGH IT ALL.

 

MUSIC BREAK

THROUGH IT ALL

Andrae Crouch

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Are Not Designed to Serve Two Masters

 

Let’s begin the next portion of our lesson by giving you a chance to make an offering…we need and we value your financial support to continue the work of this ministry…please welcome up Deacon Denny Goodall with the offering message.

 

THE OFFERING

Deacon Denny Goodall

 

OFFERING VERSE

 

MATTHEW 13:22

And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who

hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.

 

OFFERING

FLIGHT OF THE EAGLE

Dave McClure, Instrumental

 

TODAY’S BIBLE LESSON

Christians Are Not Designed to Serve Two Masters

 

We continue our study of Romans, Chapter 12, Verse 2…

 

ROMANS 12:2

And do not be conformed to this world (by Satan, by his world system of thought, and by the flesh)…instead, keep on being transformed by (God the Holy Spirit)…through the renewing of your mind (by studying the Word of God)… so that you may see clearly…through testing…what the will of God is…and the will of God is that which is good and that which is acceptable and that which is perfect.

 

It might be a good idea for us to compare the offerings of the two masters, Satan and the Lord Jesus Christ…

 

SATAN                                      THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Unbeliever                                                               Believer

In Adam                                                                  In Christ

         

SATAN                                      THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Conformed                                                         Transformed

Run on Emotions                                        Run on Mentality

Double Minded                                                Single Minded

    

SATAN                                      THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Sin                                                      Live to Righteousness

Lies                                                                               Truth

Confirmation Bias                                                Objectivity

       

SATAN                                      THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Spiritual Poverty                                          Spiritual Wealth

Powerless                                                              Powerful

Hearer of the Word                                   Doer of the Word

         

SATAN                                      THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

Shepherd Ourselves                                         Be a Sheep

Rudderless                                                              Rudder

Disobey God                                                      Obey God

 

 

The Lord is our GPS…we take our instructions from Him and He will get us to the destination.

 

As Christians, we are to be like glow ropes…to get our energy from The Light, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

We are to allow God to capsize our boats on occasion, and to empty from the boat everything that is not of God.

 

We are to be sheep and to allow ourselves to be shepherded by God.

 

We are to be vessels, and to let the Lord fill our vessels with His Word.

 

John, Chapter 15, Verse 5, the Lord says…

 

JOHN 15:5

I (the Lord Jesus Christ) am the vine, you (believers in Christ) are the branches…he who abides in Me and I indwelling him, he bears much fruit…for apart from Me you can do nothing.

 

In Philippians, Chapter 4, Verse 13 Paul proclaims…

 

PHILIPPIANS 4:13

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

 

Luke, Chapter 1, Verse 37…

 

LUKE 1:37

“For nothing will be impossible with God.”

 

Second Corinthians, Chapter 5, Verse 17…

 

SECOND CORINTHIANS 5:17

Therefore if anyone is in union with Christ, and all believers in Christ are, he is a completely new creature…the old things passed away (they died)…behold, new things have come.

 

Christians are not designed to serve two masters. 

 

Hebrews Chapter 12, Verses 1 and 2…

 

HEBREWS 12:1

Therefore, since we believers in Christ have so great a cloud of Old Testament witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance…and let us lay aside the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race of our lives that is set before us…

 

HEBREWS 12:2

…instead we are fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God the Father.

 

Let us be holy…like He is holy.  If you want to know why you have problems…now you know.  Christians are not designed to serve two masters.  Whatever your problems are, bring them to your One and ONLY master from resolution.

 

GOD WANTS YOU!

Make the Most Important Decision of Your Life

 

There is only ONE WAY to get to heaven…a single road…a narrow gate you must pass through.  The Lord Jesus Christ says, in Matthew Chapter 7, Verses 13 and 14…

 

MATTHEW 7:13

“Enter through the narrow gate…for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through the wide gate.  For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find the narrow way.”

 

Do you want to be one of the few who finds the narrow way?

 

To get to heaven, you need someone to take you there…and the Person who volunteers to take you there says HE is THE WAY to get to heaven in John, Chapter 14, Verse 6…

 

JOHN 14:6

Jesus said to doubting Thomas, “I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the resurrection life…and no one comes to God the Father but through believing in Me.”

 

The Lord Jesus Christ died on a Cross and shed His blood to make a way for you to get to heaven…He is the ONLY WAY.  Philippians, Chapter 2, Verse 8 says…

 

PHILIPPIANS 2:8

Being found in appearance as a man, the Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a Cross.

 

Three days later Jesus Christ rose from the dead for you, to prove to you that He is God.  No one else has ever risen from the dead.  Colossians, Chapter 1, Verse 18 says…

 

COLOSSIANS 1:18

The Lord Jesus Christ is the head of the body, the church…and He is the

beginning, the firstborn from the (resurrection of the) dead, so that the Lord Himself will come to have first place in everything.

 

And so right now, right where you sit you can ask the Lord Jesus Christ to take you to heaven when you close your eyes in this life.  The Lord is always offering a free trip to heaven for anyone who wants it…but you have to come to Him to ask for a ride.  Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31 says…

 

ACTS 16:31

“Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”

 

John, Chapter 3, Verse 36 says…

 

JOHN 3:36

“He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”

 

Once you have salvation you cannot lose it…John, Chapter 10, Verse 28 says…

 

JOHN 10:28

…I (the Lord Jesus Christ) give eternal life to believers in Christ, and they will never perish…and no one will snatch them out of My hand.

 

Jesus DIED for you.  Jesus ROSE FROM THE DEAD for you.  Jesus LOVES you.  Jesus FORGIVES all of your sins.  Jesus wants to welcome you with open arms into heaven.  Jesus protects your salvation forever.  All you have to do to get to heaven is to place your TRUST in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, and He will come through for you.  He is your ONE and ONLY WAY to get to heaven.  Do it now!  Don’t wait.  Turn over your life to the great I AM.

 

CLOSING SONG

I AM

June Murphy

 

CLOSING PRAYER

Let us pray...

 

          THANKS - INTERCESSION - PETITION

 

Thanks for coming!

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Thanks for listening!

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